The Delhi High Court has stayed its earlier order that required a second level of human intervention in cases where complaints are rejected by the RBI ombudsman
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on January 8 stayed its own November 27, 2025 direction that mandated a second level of human supervision by trained legal personnel whenever a complaint filed before the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ombudsman is finally rejected.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the interim stay while hearing an appeal filed by the RBI. The bench ordered that the directions contained in paragraphs 47(5) and 48 of the single judge’s order would remain stayed until the next hearing, which has been scheduled for March 17.
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The court also stayed the direction requiring the RBI deputy governor to file an affidavit by January 15 detailing steps taken to implement the earlier directions.
In its November 27, 2025 judgment, a single judge of the High Court had issued multiple directions aimed at strengthening the RBI’s customer grievance redressal mechanism. One key direction required that complaints rejected by the RBI ombudsman should undergo a second level of human supervision by legally trained professionals such as retired judicial officers or lawyers with at least 10 years of experience, to prevent rejections due to minor technical errors.
The single judge had observed that many public complaints were being rejected on technical grounds, indicating that the system was not sufficiently consumer-friendly. The court had also directed that complainants should be given an opportunity to rectify errors or mistakes before their complaints are rejected through a mechanised process. It had further noted that an improved and efficient complaint redressal system could significantly reduce litigation in courts and consumer forums.
During the hearing before the division bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the RBI, argued that the single judge had exceeded the scope of powers under Article 226 of the Constitution. He submitted that the RBI ombudsman scheme is a statutory framework formulated under the Banking Regulation Act and the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, and any modification to it can be made only by authorities empowered under those laws.
The original order was passed in a petition filed by a credit card holder who had fallen victim to a fraudulent transaction.
(With PTI inputs)
Published: 08 Jan 2026, 05:17 pm IST
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