If someone has died and you are recorded as nominee on a bank deposit, contact the bank through its official channel and ask for the claim form and current written document list for that account. Ask which Reserve Bank of India (RBI) direction applies to the bank's legal category. Keep the claim reference, the date the bank received your papers and copies of everything you submit.
Nomination helps a bank identify who may receive a deposit after a depositor's death. It does not by itself settle every inheritance question. The Supreme Court has held that a nominee may receive the deposit from the bank without thereby becoming its owner; the money forms part of the deceased depositor's estate and devolves under applicable succession law. If there is a will, another claimant, a court order or a disputed nomination, get advice from a qualified Indian succession lawyer.
This guide concerns bank deposit accounts. Claim procedures for other financial products, lockers, articles in safe custody and investments can differ. Confirm the product and the bank's legal category before relying on a procedure.
First identify the account and claim route
| Situation | What to ask the bank |
|---|---|
| A sole depositor has died and a nominee is recorded | Ask for the nominee claim form, current written document list and the direction or policy that applies. |
| A joint depositor has died and another depositor is alive | Ask the bank to confirm the account's operating mandate and how it handles the surviving depositor's request. |
| No nominee is recorded | Ask for the bank's no-nomination deceased-claim procedure and the rule or policy behind any requested document. Requirements can depend on the bank, account and circumstances. |
| A will exists, someone disputes the claim, or a court has issued an order | Tell the bank in writing and get individual legal advice before using a routine claim checklist. |
If available, take a passbook, deposit receipt or recent statement. Ask the bank to confirm the account title, depositors, recorded nomination, operating mandate, balance and accrued interest, and the date it received the claim. Request a claim reference and the name and contact details of the officer handling it. Share identity or account documents only through a verified bank channel.
Keep a clear claim record
Create one secure folder for the claim. Keep the account papers, death record, submitted forms, attachments, bank acknowledgements, complaint references and replies together. Add a simple chronology with the date, channel, person or team contacted, what you asked, what the bank said and any next step it gave you. Separate facts shown in a bank document from your own notes or a family member's recollection. This makes it easier to explain the history if the branch changes the officer handling the request.
When you speak with the bank, useful questions include:
- Has the bank found a nomination on this specific account, and can it confirm the recorded nominee or nominees?
- Has the bank received every document it asked for, or is something still outstanding?
- If something is missing, what is the document called, why is it relevant to this claim, and which current policy or RBI direction does the bank rely on?
- What is the claim reference, and which team or officer should receive a follow-up?
- If the bank cannot act on the request, can it explain the reason and next step in writing?
These are requests for clarity, not a standard list of papers or a promise about how quickly a bank will act. Ask the bank to repeat unfamiliar terms or put its explanation in writing. Do not alter a form to make an entry fit; ask the bank how it wants a correction recorded.
Keep originals safe. Submit copies unless the bank specifically explains why it needs an original, and ask for an acknowledgement describing anything temporarily handed over. Before sending documents, verify the bank's website, app, branch or published contact details yourself. Do not send account or identity papers to an unsolicited caller, personal email address or messaging number. Limit family sharing to people who need the information, and store scans behind a device passcode or in another access-controlled place. Redact unrelated transactions from a statement only if the bank confirms it will accept the redacted copy; otherwise ask what record is needed.
Check joint-account instructions carefully
If one joint depositor has died and another is alive, do not assume the nominee should make the same request as a nominee after the death of a sole depositor. Section 45ZA addresses the nominee's right after the sole depositor, or all depositors, have died. For an account with a surviving holder, ask the bank to confirm the operating mandate recorded for that account and explain the route it applies to the survivor's request. If the account terms, nomination record and a family's understanding do not match, ask the bank to identify the record it is relying on and how a correction or dispute should be raised.
The same care applies when several depositors have died at different times, an account has been converted or renewed, or a family has paperwork with different account numbers or names. Do not infer that two deposits have the same nomination just because they were opened at one branch or held by the same person. Ask the bank to identify each account separately. If a will, court order, competing claimant or allegation that a nomination was changed affects the request, notify the bank in writing and get legal advice before presenting a disputed fact as settled.
If you are the recorded nominee
Ask the bank for its current nominee-claim form and complete written checklist, and ask it to identify the applicable RBI paragraph and bank policy. If the bank requests probate, a succession certificate, an indemnity or another document, ask it to state in writing why that document applies to this account and claim. The requirements can depend on the bank's category and the facts, so do not assume that one checklist applies to every institution. Keep copies of the claim, attachments and the bank's acknowledgement.
The RBI's Commercial Banks – Responsible Business Conduct Directions, 2025 master-direction listing identifies that direction as updated on 1 October 2026. Other categories of regulated banks have separate directions. Confirm the bank's legal category and the current direction that applies before relying on a procedure. This article does not state a universal document list, payment deadline or claim threshold.
What the 2025 nomination changes mean
Sections 10 to 13 of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 took effect on 1 November 2025. Section 45ZA of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 now allows up to four nominees for a deposit, either successively or simultaneously. A simultaneous nomination states each nominee's percentage; a successive nomination follows the statutory priority order. These provisions concern nomination for the deposit and do not replace the bank's claim process or determine every inheritance dispute.
The 2025 Act did not amend section 45ZA(2). In Ram Chander Talwar v. Devender Kumar Talwar (Supreme Court, 6 October 2010), the Court construed that subsection as it then stood. It held that a nominee had the right to receive the deposit from the bank, but was not thereby its owner; the money formed part of the deceased's estate and devolved under the applicable succession law.
That case concerned one nominee under the earlier version of section 45ZA(1), before the 2025 Act introduced simultaneous nominations and percentage allocations. It does not resolve every question that may arise in an estate with multiple simultaneous nominees. The statute preserves a person's claim against a recipient under section 45ZA(4), but the outcome of a particular estate dispute depends on its facts and applicable succession law. Get individual legal advice where those rights are contested.
If the bank delays or refuses the claim
- Submit the claim through the bank's official channel. Keep a copy of each form and attachment, the submission date and the bank's acknowledgement.
- Ask for any delay or refusal in writing. Request the missing item, the reason it is required, and the RBI paragraph or bank policy relied on.
- Use the bank's grievance channel and retain the complaint number and response.
- If you remain dissatisfied, review current eligibility and filing requirements through the official RBI Complaint Management System. The complaint channel does not decide a disputed inheritance or replace a court order.
- Seek individual legal advice if a will, competing claimant, suspected forged or changed nomination, court restraint, missing depositor or cross-border estate fact may affect the claim.
If there is a separate account restriction, see our guide to what to do about a frozen bank account in India. An RBI complaint about a bank's service is a different route from a case filed with a Consumer Commission; our guide to consumer complaints online in India explains that separate process.
Legal teams handling similar requests can explore Gotham's legal workflows for organizing document review and follow-up. To discuss a workflow for your team, contact Gotham.
Official sources
- Banking Regulation Act, 1949, including sections 45ZA, 45ZB and 45ZG.
- Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 and Gazette notification bringing nomination provisions into force.
- Supreme Court of India, Ram Chander Talwar v. Devender Kumar Talwar, order dated 6 October 2010.
- Reserve Bank of India, Commercial Banks – Responsible Business Conduct Directions, 2025, and Complaint Management System.
General information, not legal advice. Bank category, account terms, applicable RBI directions, nomination record and estate circumstances can affect a claim. Inheritance rights and contested claims depend on the facts and applicable succession law. Consult a qualified Indian lawyer for advice about a specific estate or dispute.
Questions about a deceased bank depositor nominee claim
Does a bank nominee automatically become the owner of the deposit?
No. The Supreme Court has held that nomination gives the nominee the right to receive the deposit from the bank, but does not by itself make the nominee its owner. The money forms part of the deceased person's estate and devolves under applicable succession law.
What documents does a nominee need to claim a deceased person's bank deposit?
Ask the bank for its current nominee-claim form and complete written document list. Requirements depend on the bank category, account and circumstances, so this guide does not give a universal checklist. Keep a copy of what you submit and the bank's acknowledgement.
Can a bank deposit name more than one nominee in India?
For deposits, the 2025 amendments to the Banking Regulation Act allow up to four nominees, either successively or simultaneously, subject to the statutory conditions. Simultaneous nominees have stated percentage shares; successive nominations follow a priority order. Ask the bank to confirm what it has recorded for the account.
What if one holder of a joint account has died?
Ask the bank to confirm the account's operating mandate and the procedure for the surviving depositor. The Banking Regulation Act's nomination provision addresses a nominee's right after the sole depositor, or all depositors, have died. The account instructions and facts matter.
What should I do if the bank delays or refuses the claim?
Ask the bank for a written explanation, the missing item or reason, and the policy or RBI direction it relies on. Use the bank's grievance channel and keep the complaint reference. If considering the RBI Complaint Management System, check its current eligibility and filing requirements.
General information, not legal advice. Bank category, account terms, applicable RBI directions, nomination record and estate circumstances can affect a claim. Inheritance rights and contested claims depend on the facts and applicable succession law. Consult a qualified Indian lawyer for advice about a specific estate or dispute.
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