Axis Bank Account Opening Nightmare - Rs. 1.25L Stuck, No Account

[c9646]

Hey everyone, need some urgent advice on dealing with Axis Bank.

The Situation:

• Applied for Prestige account by visiting the branch, for some reason their online portal showed only Rs. 50K deposit after the manual application, so I paid Rs. 50K initial deposit
• Account got put on hold due to "some verification issue"
• Bank said they'll refund within 1-2 days and to start a fresh application process
• Started new application, paid another Rs. 75K (the actual required MAB for Prestige account)
• Second application status also on hold yesterday (got SMS), no reason given
• Total stuck: Rs. 1.25 lakhs
• The first application was done on 20th August, 2025
• Second application was done on 26th August, 2025 and that's when I told them to refund the initial Rs. 50K to original source (my account in HDFC)
• Today's the third day since second application, no refund for first Rs. 50K despite their promise of giving it within 1 - 2 days
• No clear status on second application either

What I'm facing:

• No account activated despite paying twice
• Delayed refund (bank promised 1-2 days, it's day 3)
• No clarity on the status of the second application. I just got an SMS saying application is on hold but when I asked the lady who processed my application, she just said "Don't worry, we're working on it"
• Customer service giving run-around

Questions:

1. What steps should I take now?
2. Should I escalate to RBI Ombudsman directly or try bank hierarchy first?
3. Can I claim compensation for delayed refund (₹100/day after T+5)?

This is absolutely ridiculous - taking money twice for the same service and then keeping customers in the dark. Any advice on fastest way to get my money back and either get the account activated or full refund?