Question: A registered nominee visited the bank to claim the contents of a deceased customer's locker and submitted the required claim documents. Before granting access to locker, the bank intended to release the contents without confirming the nominee's identity and entitlement. According to the RBI Master Circular on Customer Service in Banks, 2014, what should the bank do before releasing the locker contents?
Answer: Before releasing the locker contents, the bank should verify the nominee's identity and confirm their entitlement to access the locker in accordance with the prescribed procedure. Only after completing this verification should the locker contents be handed over.

Supporting evidence:
title: rbi.org.in/72MC010714CS.pdf
quote: Banks should exercise due care and caution in establishing the identity of the survivor(s) / nominee(s) and the fact of death of the locker hirer by obtaining appropriate documentary evidence;
context: the nominee(s). In case the locker was hired jointly with survivorship clause and the hirers instructed that the access of the locker should be given over to "either or survivor", "anyone or survivor" or "former or survivor" or according to any other survivorship clause, banks should follow the mandate in the event of the death of one or more of the locker-hirers.

21.1 Access to the safe deposit lockers / return of safe custody articles (with survivor/nominee clause)

- 21.1.2 However, banks should take the following precautions before handing over the contents:
- (a) Banks should exercise due care and caution in establishing the identity of the survivor(s) / nominee(s) and the fact of death of the locker hirer by obtaining appropriate documentary evidence;
- (b) Banks should make diligent effort to find out if there is any order from a competent court restraining the bank from giving access to the locker of the deceased; and
- (c) Banks should make it clear to the survivor(s) / nominee(s) that access to locker / safe custody articles is given to them only as a trustee of the legal heirs of the deceased locker hirer i.e., such access given to him shall not affect the right or claim which any person may have against the survivor(s) / nominee(s) to whom the access is given. Similar procedure should be followed for return of articles placed in the safe custody of the bank. Banks should note that the facility of nomination is not available in case of deposit of safe custody articles by more than one person.
- 21.1.3 Banks should note that since the access given to the survivor(s) / nominee(s), subject to the foregoing conditions, would constitute a full discharge of the bank's liability, insistence on production of legal representation is superfluous and unwarranted and only serves to cause entirely avoidable inconvenience to the survivor(s) / nominee(s) and would, therefore, invite serious supervisory disapproval. In such case, therefore, while giving access to the survivor(s) / nominee(s) of the deceased locker hirer / depositor of the safe custody articles, the banks should desist from insisting on
production of succession certificate, letter of administration or probate, etc., or obtain any bond of indemnity or surety from the survivor(s)/nominee(s).

21.2 Access to the safe deposit lockers / return of safe custody articles (without survivor/nominee clause)

There is an imperative need to avoid inconvenience and undue hardship to legal heir(s) of the loc