These actions are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, May 15, 2025: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by separate orders, all dated dated May 09, 2025; imposed monetary penalties on 4 cooperative banks and one NBFC. The RBI has penalized Grewal Brothers Finance Company; Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank; Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank; Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank and Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, as per a press release issued by the ED today. These actions against each of these entities, are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on Grewal Brothers Finance Company Private Limited, Kerala (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of ‘Master Direction - Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company-Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 58G(1)(b) read with Section 58B(5)(aa) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The correspondence pertaining to the intimation of appointment of directors revealed, inter-alia, non-compliance with RBI directions. Based on the same, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter-alia that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The company failed to obtain prior written permission of the RBI for effecting change in management, resulting in change of more than 30 per cent of its directors, excluding independent directors.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs2.00 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on The Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had sanctioned director related loans.
This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Mangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms /concerns in which they are interested’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had sanctioned director related loans.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
4 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on The Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had sanctioned director related loans.
This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
5 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 31 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said statutory provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had failed to submit its accounts and balance-sheet for the FY 2023-24 together with the auditor’s report to RBI, within stipulated timeline.
This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
