In December 2021, D S Ranga Rao, a retired government officer, and his wife visited a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Thane, Maharashtra. He fell from a shaky, unstable ladder in the locker room, receiving major injuries that needed surgery. The bank refused to acknowledge any responsibility or offer compensation. Officials there would not even call an ambulance until he agreed to pay for it. Guided by the Moneylife Foundation, Mr Rao filed a complaint with the branch, escalating it to the nodal officer and then taking it up with the banking ombudsman (BO) office. At each stage, his claim was summarily rejected. To add insult to injury, the BO made its decision non-appealable. When we escalated the matter to the highest levels in the Reserve Bank of India, Mr Rao’s costs were partially reimbursed.