I went to India last March( 2008). I have tried to cash some American Express Traveller's Cheque in Chartered Bank in N.S.Road. The clerk was cashing these kind of TC for Americans, Germans, British, Japanese who were in front of me, but he has told me to go the money changer sitting in front of Coal Bhavan otherwise I have to pay Rs.200 extra.
So I went to the CITY Bank on J.L.Nehru Road. It replied that it cannot cash any American Express TC but it is written on their door that they do and I could see foreigners were cashing TCs there.
Then I went to ICICI Bank on the same J.L.Nehru Road, it said that they only cash TC for their account holders. Then I went again another branch of Chartered Bank on J.L.Nehru Road. The cleark this time was abusive and asked me to go to the branch of N.S.Road, where I went before.
This is a racial discrimination against Indians in India by the Indian or foreign banks.