(1.) A Notice of Enquiry (NOE) was issued on 25.5.1995 to Allahabad Bank, Calcutta under Sec.10 (a) (i) of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (for brief the Act) on the basis of a Preliminary Investigation Report (PIR) submitted by the Director General (Investigation and Registration) (the DG ).
(2.) The NOE has alleged that the respondent was not maintaining a waiting list register for allotment of lockers in accordance with the directions of the Reserve Bank of India and lockers are allotted on condition of making fixed deposits by the customers. It was alleged that the above action of the respondent caused unjustified cost and placed restrictions on its customers attracting the provisions of Sec.2 (o) (ii) of the Act.
(3.) The respondent filed a reply to the NOE in which it was pointed out that the subject matter of allotment of lockers by the respondent Bank was covered under the direction/ instruction of Reserve Bank of India under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and the NOE should be discharged on this ground.