Woman, 75, wheeled to bank on handcart in 42°C sun sparks outrage

Agra: A video showing a 75-year-old ailing woman being wheeled to a bank on a handcart under a scorching 42°C sun for withdrawing her pension after officials turned her grandson away has triggered widespread public outrage and intense criticism over the treatment of senior citizens by banking institutions.The incident, which took place on Friday in Hathi Khan area of Fatehgarh in Farrukhabad district, gained massive traction on social media. Netizens fiercely questioned why a severely injured elderly citizen was allegedly forced to visit the branch in person to withdraw her pension.The woman, Kishan Pyari, is a widow whose late husband was an employee of the state power department. She is currently suffering from a fractured hip and is completely unable to walk following a recent accident at her home.Her grandson, Manu Pal (27), alleged that he had initially approached the bank to explain her critical condition but received an unsatisfactory response from the staff. Pal stated that because his grandmother could not travel by car due to her injury and an ambulance could not be arranged in time, the family felt compelled to transport her on a handcart.As the video circulated online, many users pointed out Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, which mandate that commercial banks must provide doorstep banking services to eligible senior citizens and infirm customers.Following social media backlash, Punjab National Bank (PNB) officials moved swiftly to manage the fallout. PNB branch manager Pravesh Kumar Verma visited Pyari’s residence to personally apologise to the family.In an official video statement, Verma clarified that there had been a misunderstanding. He stated that the bank staff had actually advised the grandson to wait for a home-service arrangement rather than bringing the ailing woman to the branch. Verma emphasised that the bank regularly facilitates doorstep banking for such cases and promised a thorough internal review of the circumstances that led to the communication gap.Following the branch manager’s personal visit and assurances, the family indicated that they consider the matter closed. “I think the matter should end,” said Manu Pal.