- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC:12668 CRL.P No. 1533 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 25TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 1533 OF 2025 (482(Cr.PC) / 528(BNSS)) BETWEEN: 1. AXIS BANK LTD., A BANKING COMPANY. CARRYING ON THE BANKING BUSINESS UNDER THE BANKING REGULATION ACT, 1949, INCORPORATED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956 AND HAVING ITS REGISTERED OFFICE AT 'TRISHUL', 3RD FLOOR, OPP SAMARTHESHWAR TEMPLE, LAW GARDEN, ELLIS BRIDGE, AHMEDABAD - 380 006. GUJARAT AND HAVING ONE OF ITS BRANCH OFFICE AT GROUND FLOOR, SHOP NO.P-3 AND P-4, T.P.07, FP NO.81, SOMESHWAR TEXTILE MARKET, ANJANA, TALUK CHORIYASI, DISTRICT SURAT, GUJARAT-395 002. REPRESENTED BY ITS BRANCH HEAD, MR. KISHOR WELEKAR AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS, ALSO AT S/O MANOHAR NELKAR 13 JAI SHRI NARAYANA NAGAR B M HARIKRISHNAPPA SUBHANPURA, VADODARA GUJARAT 390023. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. UNNIKRISHNAN M., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY EAST CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, DCP EAST Digitally signed by R HEMALATHA Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC:12668 CRL.P No. 1533 of 2025 DIVISION, BANGALORE DISTRICT. REPRESENTED BY SPP HON'BLE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE 01. 2. SRI. RAMACHANDRAN.R.S, S/O. LATE R.SUBRAMANIAN, AGED ABOUT 75 YEARS, RESIDING AT YD LOTUS POND, 3RD MAIN ROAD, OMBR LAYOUT, BANASWADI, BANGALORE 560 043 KARNATAKA …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. RAHUL RAI, HCGP FOR R1; NOTICE TO R2 IS SERVED AND UNREPRESENTED) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 482 CR.PC (FILED U/S 528 BNSS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED 14.11.2024 PASSED BY THE HONBLE 45TH A.C.J.M BENGALURU IN CR.NO.867/2024 I.E ANNEXURE-C IN TERMS OF WHICH THE PETITIONER IS DIRECTED TO DEFREEZE THE SAVINGS/ ACCOUNT BEARING NO.923020069537141 MAINTAINED IN THE PETITIONERS BANK AND TRANSFER THE SAME TO THE ACCOUNT OF THE RESPONDENT NO.2. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR ORAL ORDER The petitioner which is a Financial Institution is before this Court challenging the order passed by 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on an application filed under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C. by the complainants/respondent No.2 directing the petitioner-Bank to defreeze the amount belonging - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC:12668 CRL.P No. 1533 of 2025 to the accused and transfer the said amount to the bank account of the complainants/respondent No.2. 2. The petitioner’s concern is that the order passed by the Jurisdictional Magistrate cannot be executed because it surpasses the specified release amount, and numerous courts across the Country have issued directives to the investigating agencies to unfreeze the bank accounts of the accused therein. 3. The learned High Court Government Pleader for the respondent No.1 - State on instructions would suggest that the matter may be remanded to the Jurisdictional Courts to consider the application filed under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C. afresh, by affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. 4. Admittedly, multiple cases are registered against the accused herein within the State and across the country and there are multiple orders passed by the Jurisdictional Magistrates directing the petitioner to unfreeze the account of the accused and transfer the amount to the bank account of the complainants. The passing of multiple orders has caused difficulty to the petitioner/bank in executing the said order, since the amount ordered to be released in some accounts exceeds the amount available in the subject accounts of the accused. Therefore, the learned Magistrate before passing an order directing the petitioner to unfreeze and transfer the amount to the accounts of the complainants, is required to hear the petitioner. - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC:12668 CRL.P No. 1533 of 2025 Accordingly, the petition is allowed. The order dated 14.11.2024 passed in Crime No.867/2024 by the learned 45th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bangalore is hereby set aside. Sd/- (HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR) JUDGE BKM List No.: 3 Sl No.: 0