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Deepa, 26, is a college student in Chennai. She borrowed ₹15,000 from a loan app for textbooks and fell one month behind on payments after her part-time job was cut.
The calls started at 6:15 AM. Then 6:30 AM. Sometimes multiple calls before sunrise. By the time her morning class began, she had already received 7 missed calls. The caller was aggressive, used language she had never been spoken to with before, and threatened consequences she did not understand.
Deepa did not know that every single call before 8 AM was illegal.
This article tells you exactly what the law says — and exactly how to stop it.
The RBI Rule: Times When Lenders Can Call You
The Reserve Bank of India's guidelines on bank loans and collection agents specify that recovery calls may only be made between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Calls outside these hours violate RBI's Fair Practices Code for lenders.
This applies to: Lenders calling directly Third-party recovery agents calling on behalf of lenders Any agent working for a company hired by the lender
It does not matter: How overdue your loan is How many EMIs you have missed What the loan amount is Whether the lender claims it is "automated"
The time restriction is absolute. There are no exceptions.
Other Recovery Behaviours That Are Also Illegal
The time restriction is just one of many protections. RBI's guidelines on recovery agent conduct also prohibit:
Abusive language: Any threatening, abusive, or humiliating language — including over-the-top exaggeration of consequences
Contacting relatives and colleagues: Agents may only contact you — not your family members, employer, colleagues, or anyone else in your contact list (unless they are your guarantor)
Public shaming: Sharing information about your loan default with third parties, posting to social media, or sending messages to your WhatsApp contacts
Misrepresentation: Falsely claiming to be a lawyer, court official, or police officer
Threatening arrest: Telling you that you will be arrested for non-payment of an unsecured personal loan. This is false — non-payment of an unsecured loan is a civil matter, not criminal.
Excessive call frequency: While no specific number is defined, RBI expects "reasonable" frequency. 15+ calls per day is harassessment regardless of the time.
Home visits without prior notice: Recovery agents cannot appear at your home or workplace without prior written notice. If they do visit, they must carry identification and cannot enter without your permission.
How to Document the Harassessment (Your Evidence File)
Documentation is everything. Without it, your complaint is difficult to prosecute. With it, it becomes straightforward.
Call log documentation: Screenshot your call log showing the time of every call Note the number that called (even if it varies — document each) Note the time, duration, and content of the call (what was said) Keep a text log: Date, Time, Number, What was said
Voice recording: In India, recording a phone call you are participating in is generally permissible (you are a party to the call). Use your phone's built-in call recorder or download a call recorder app. Keep all recordings.
Message documentation: Screenshot every WhatsApp message, SMS, and in-app message related to recovery. Preserve the timestamps.
Witness documentation: If a call was overheard by a family member or colleague, note their name and what they heard.
Your Complaint Pathway: Step by Step
Level 1: Complaint to the Lender (Day 1)
Send a formal written complaint to the lender's customer care email (not just in-app message, which they can delete):
"I am writing to formally complain about recovery calls made to me outside the RBI-permitted 8 AM–7 PM window. On [dates], calls were made at [times]. This violates RBI Fair Practices Code. I request immediate cessation of out-of-hours calls and a written confirmation that your recovery agents have been notified. I have documented evidence of these violations."
Level 2: Complaint to Nodal Officer (Day 8, if no resolution)
Every RBI-regulated lender must publish their Nodal Officer's contact on their website. Find it and send the same complaint with your evidence.
Level 3: RBI Sachet (Simultaneously with Level 2)
File at sachet.rbi.org.in. Select "Inappropriate recovery practices" as the complaint category. Upload your call log screenshots and any recordings. This is free and typically triggers a response from the lender within 2–4 weeks.
Level 4: RBI Ombudsman (Day 38, if still unresolved)
If 30 days pass without satisfactory resolution, file at cms.rbi.org.in. The Ombudsman can order the lender to: Cease all harassessment Pay compensation (often ₹5,000–₹20,000 for documented harassessment) Ensure the CIBIL impact of disputed amounts is reversed
Parallel: Police Complaint (If Abusive or Threatening)
If the recovery agent uses abusive language, threatens physical harm, or impersonates a police officer or lawyer, file an FIR at your local police station under: IPC Section 503 (criminal intimidation) IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation by threat) IPC Section 420 if they claim to be legal authorities they are not
HeyZ AI: Your Harassessment Complaint Generator
Upload your call log screenshots to SahiSujhav's Harassessment Checker and HeyZ AI will: Analyse the calls for RBI violations (time, frequency, content) Generate a formatted complaint letter for the lender's Nodal Officer Pre-fill the RBI Sachet complaint form for you Tell you whether the behaviour also qualifies for a police complaint
This takes 5 minutes. It is free. No PAN or login required.
Deepa's Outcome
Deepa documented 18 calls before 8 AM over 6 days. She filed on RBI Sachet with screenshots. The lender's Nodal Officer contacted her within 10 days, confirmed the calls had violated their own policy, and waived her ₹1,400 late fee as a goodwill gesture.
The calls stopped entirely. Her loan was restructured to EMIs she could afford.
Knowledge is the difference between suffering harassessment and stopping it.
Document harassessment and file automatically with HeyZ AI — free at www.sahisujhav.com
SahiSujhav Harassessment Checker: Upload, analyse, and file in under 10 minutes. No login. No PAN.
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