Mumbai, Sept. 9 -- The Bombay High Court has ruled that a borrower who fully repays a loan is entitled to expect a bank or financial institution to properly preserve and return the original title documents deposited as security.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad observed that lenders must maintain proper custody of such documents and return them once the secured liability is discharged.

The bench noted that a bank remains responsible for preserving and returning original property title documents deposited as security even if a borrower does not immediately seek their return after repaying the loan.

It directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to pay compensation of Rs 5,000 per day fro...