NBFC Harassment Despite EMI Payment Proof? How to Stop It

Who this guide is for

This guide is for any borrower who is paying EMIs on a loan from a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) and is still being harassed by collection or recovery agents. It is most useful if you:

• Have EMIs debiting on time through NACH, auto-debit, or manual payment, and can show bank proof, but the NBFC keeps calling about "overdue" amounts, or
• Have closed the loan and hold a no-dues or settlement letter, yet agents still chase you, or
• Are getting calls, messages, or visits that involve threats, abuse, odd-hour contact, or pressure on your family, employer, or neighbours.

It applies to most retail NBFC loans: personal loans, two-wheeler and vehicle loans, consumer-durable EMIs, gold loans, and small-business loans. The remedies are similar whether the lender is a large NBFC or a smaller one.

Who this guide is NOT for

This guide does not cover situations where you have genuinely defaulted and the dues are real — that needs a repayment or restructuring conversation, not a harassment complaint. It also does not cover illegal or unregistered instant loan apps that misuse your photos and contacts; that is a cybercrime matter handled differently. If your loan is from a bank rather than an NBFC, the lender's nodal officer and the RBI Ombudsman route still apply, but check the bank-specific guides. For large recovery, auction, or arrest-style threats, consult a qualified lawyer; the stakes are too high for self-help alone.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Pull your bank statement for the loan repayment account covering the whole loan period, or at least the last twelve months. Mark every EMI debit: date, amount, and the transaction narration that shows the NBFC's name or NACH reference. Download the NACH or auto-debit mandate confirmation if you have it. Open the NBFC's app or portal and download your latest loan account statement. Put the two side by side so you can see your account is regular. Save everything in one folder, clearly named by date.

Saturday

Build your harassment record. Open a simple note or sheet and log every collection call: the phone number, the date, the time, and a one-line summary of what was said. Take screenshots of any SMS, WhatsApp, or email and save them with the date visible. If an agent visited, write down the date, the names used, what they said, and whether anyone else witnessed it. Do not delete any message — even abusive ones are evidence. If you choose to record a call, be careful: the law on recording varies, so prefer written records and only record where you are clearly a party to the call and comfortable doing so.

Sunday

Find the NBFC's grievance redressal officer and nodal officer details. These are published on the NBFC's website, usually under "Grievance Redressal", "Customer Service", or "Contact Us", and are often displayed at branches. Note the email address and postal address. Draft your written complaint using the template further down, attaching your EMI proof and a short harassment log. Keep it factual and dated. If your account is closed, attach your no-dues or settlement letter. You are now ready to send the complaint on Monday and start the formal clock.

Documents and evidence checklist

Step-by-step action plan

Step 1 — Assemble EMI debit proof and reconcile the ledger

Begin with facts the NBFC cannot argue with. Take your bank statement and your NBFC loan statement and match them entry by entry: each EMI date, each amount, each reference. If the loan is running normally, every debit on your bank side should appear as a paid instalment on the NBFC side. If your loan is closed, place your no-dues or settlement letter on top. The goal is a clean, dated reconciliation that proves your account is regular. This single document does most of the work in every complaint that follows.

Step 2 — Document the collection calls and messages

Keep a running, dated log of every call: number, date, time, and a short note of what was said. Save screenshots of all messages, including any that threaten, abuse, or mention your family, employer, or neighbours. If an agent visits, note the names used, the time, and any witnesses. Do not respond with anger and do not delete anything. Written records are the safest evidence. Call recording can help in some cases, but the law on it varies, so rely mainly on your written log and screenshots.

Step 3 — Understand the recovery-agent rules in plain language

RBI's Fair Practices Code and its guidance on recovery agents set out how lenders and their agents must behave. In plain terms, agents are generally expected not to call at odd or unreasonable hours, not to use threats, abusive language, or public shaming, not to harass your relatives, employer, or friends to embarrass you, and to identify themselves properly. The NBFC stays responsible for whatever an agency it appoints does in its name. We are describing the general principles, not exact clause numbers or precise permitted hours, because these can change — read the current RBI directions on the official RBI website for the exact position.

Step 4 — Complain in writing to the NBFC grievance / nodal officer

Send a written complaint to the NBFC's grievance redressal officer, and to the nodal officer if one is named, using the template below. Attach your EMI debit proof and a short harassment log. State clearly that your account is regular, that the contact is unwarranted, and demand two things: written confirmation that your account is in order, and an immediate stop to the calls and visits. Send it by email so you have a time-stamp, and keep the acknowledgement or complaint reference number. This starts the formal grievance clock.

Step 5 — Escalate to the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in

If the NBFC does not resolve your complaint within the time stated in its grievance policy (commonly around 30 days), or replies without addressing it, file a free complaint with the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, which covers NBFCs. Upload your EMI proof, the reconciliation, your complaint to the NBFC, the harassment log, and the NBFC's reply if any. The RBI also runs a toll-free helpline for guidance. The Ombudsman route costs nothing and can direct the NBFC to set things right.

Step 6 — File a police complaint for threats or intimidation

Harassment that crosses into threats, criminal intimidation, abuse, trespass, or assault is a police matter, and it is separate from the loan question. Take your evidence to your local police station and ask to register a complaint. If the police do not register it, send a written complaint to a senior police officer and use your state police's online complaint portal where one exists. Keep copies of everything. A police complaint runs in parallel with your NBFC and RBI complaints — you do not have to pick only one route.

Escalation ladder

Copy-paste complaint template

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details before sending.

When RTI can help

The RTI Act, 2005 applies to public authorities. The Reserve Bank of India is a public authority, and the police are public authorities. So RTI can help you indirectly, around the edges of your complaint:

• After you complain to the RBI Ombudsman, you can file an RTI with the RBI asking about the status of action taken on your complaint, to the extent disclosure is permitted.
• After you file a police complaint, you can use the RTI route to your state police, where allowed, to ask about the action taken on your complaint.
• Where a public authority holds general records on how NBFC grievances are handled, those records may be disclosable on request.

RTI gives you information held by a public authority; it does not itself order an NBFC to stop. But the information you obtain — for example, a record showing your complaint was received and is being acted on — can strengthen your follow-up. For the basics, read our guide on how to file an RTI online in India, and see how to file a first appeal if a public authority does not respond in time. Our CPGRAMS and RTI guide also explains how to chase government bodies.

When RTI will not help

The NBFC itself: A private NBFC is not a public authority under the RTI Act, so you cannot file an RTI against it. Filing with an NBFC's "RTI cell" has no legal basis and wastes your time. The correct route against the NBFC is its own grievance and nodal officer, and then the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in. Give the RBI and police routes first; RTI is only a supporting tool here.

The recovery agency: A private collection or recovery agency is also not a public authority. RTI does not reach it. Its conduct is the NBFC's responsibility, so raise it with the NBFC and, for threats, with the police.

What RTI cannot compel: RTI cannot force an NBFC to stop calling, cannot order a refund, and cannot reverse a ledger entry. For that you need the grievance route, the RBI Ombudsman, and the police where conduct is criminal. RTI only surfaces records that a public authority already holds, where the law allows disclosure. Read the first and second appeal guide if a public authority refuses a legitimate request. For more on lender complaints, see our Banking and Finance guides.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arguing only on the phone and keeping no record. A verbal exchange with a caller leaves no proof and starts no formal clock. Always follow up with a written complaint to the grievance officer so there is a dated record you can escalate.
• Not building the EMI reconciliation first. The strongest move is a clean, dated match of your bank debits against the NBFC statement. Without it you are stuck in a he-said argument; with it the complaint almost answers itself.
• Deleting abusive messages out of anger. Threatening and abusive messages are your best evidence for a police complaint. Save them with the date and sender visible; never delete them.
• Filing an RTI against the NBFC. A private NBFC is not covered by the RTI Act. Use its grievance route and the RBI Ombudsman; reserve RTI for the action-taken records of the RBI or the police.
• Treating a threat as just a loan dispute. Threats, intimidation, trespass, or abuse are criminal conduct. Go to the police in parallel; do not wait for the NBFC or RBI process to finish first.
• Ignoring a wrong-account or ledger error. Sometimes the contact is because the NBFC's system shows a missed EMI that your bank shows as paid. Reconcile, point out the exact entry, and ask for a written correction.
• Missing the escalation window. Note the date you complained to the NBFC. If it is not resolved within the stated timeline, escalate to the RBI Ombudsman promptly rather than letting weeks slip by.