- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 12TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7717 OF 2025 BETWEEN: 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, 70, SHREE NAGAR EXT, KHAJRANA MAIN ROAD, ANAND BAZAR, 452 001, INDORE, MADHYA PRADESH. REPRESENTED BY ITS BRANCH HEAD, MR. GULSHAN TEJNANI, AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, Digitally signed by KAVYA R Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 ALSO AT S/O CHIMANLAL TEJNANI, 73, ASHOK NAGAR COLONY, TOWARE, CHURCHA, INDORE, MADHYA PRADESH - 452 001. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. UNNIKRISHNAN M., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, BY RAMANAGARA CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, RAMANAGARA DISTRICT. REPRESENTED BY SPP, HON'BLE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE - 01. 2. SMT. SALIYA SULTAN, AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS, D/O. RIYAZ PASHA, RESIDING AT NO.443, NEAR ARIF MUTTON SHOP, SHETTIHALLI STREET, RAMANAGAR TOWN, RAMANAGARA, KARNATAKA. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI.K.NAGESHWARAPPA, HCGP FOR R-1; NOTICE TO R-2 IS DISPENSED WITH v/o.dt.12.06.2025) *** THIS CRL.P. IS FILED U/S 482 OF CR.P.C (U/S 528 BNSS) PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED 15.06.2024 PASSED BY THE HONBLE COURT OF PRL. CIVIL JUDGE AND JMFC COURT, RAMANAGARA DISTRICT, RAMANAGARA IN - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 CRIME NO.16/2023 i.e., ANNEXURE-C IN TERMS OF WHICH, THE PETITIONER IS DIRECTED TO DEFREEZE THE SAVINGS/CURRENT ACCOUNT BEARING A/C NO.922020028646731 MAINTAINED IN THE PETITIONER'S BANK AND TRANSFER THE SAME TO THE ACCOUNT OF THE RESPONDENT NO.2, ETC. THIS CRL.P., COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR ORAL ORDER In this petition, the petitioner seeks the following reliefs: “a) To set aside the order dated 15.06.2024 passed by the Hon'ble Court of PRL. Civil Judge and JMFC Court, Ramanagara District, Ramanagara in Crime No.16/2023 i.e., Annexure-C in terms of which the petitioner is directed to defreeze the Savings/current account bearing A/c No.922020028646731 maintained in the petitioner's Bank and transfer the same to the account of the Respondent No.2. b) To pass such other orders as may be deemed expedient in the circumstance of the case and in the interest of justice." - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned HCGP for the respondent No.1 and perused the material on record. 3. In addition to reiterating the various contentions urged in the memorandum of petition and referring to the material on record, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the issue in controversy involved in the present petition is directly and squarely covered by the judgment of a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of Axis Bank Ltd., Vs. The State of Karnataka and Anr. – Crl.P.No.1787/2023 dated 14.12.2023, and the present petition may be disposed of in the above terms. 4. As rightly contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the issue in controversy in the present petition is covered by the judgment of this Court in the case of Axis Bank Ltd.,(supra), wherein it is held as under: “The Petitioner which is a Financial Institution is before this Court challenging the order - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 passed by 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on an application filed under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C. by the complainant/respondent No.2 directing the petitioner-Bank to defreeze the amount belonging to the accused and transfer the said amount to the bank account of the complainants/respondent No.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. Learned Special Public Prosecutor 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. 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 - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 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. Accordingly, I pass the following: ORDER Criminal Petition is allowed. The order dated 26.11.2021 passed by the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru in Cr.No.452/2021 is hereby set aside. Matter is remanded to 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru to reconsider the application filed under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C. afresh, after giving the opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. Till the application is disposed of, the petitioner/bank is restrained from releasing the money in favour of any person from the subject account.” - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 5. In view of the above, the writ petition is disposed of in terms of the order passed in the case of Axis Bank Ltd.,(supra). 6. Accordingly, I pass the following: ORDER Criminal Petition is allowed. The order dated 15.06.2024 passed by the Principal Civil Judge & JMFC Court, Ramanagara District, Ramanagara, in Crime No.16/2023, vide Annexure C, is hereby set aside. Matter is remanded to the Principal Civil Judge & JMFC Court, Ramanagara District, Ramanagara, to reconsider the application filed under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C. afresh, after giving the opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. Till the application is disposed of, the petitioner/bank is restrained from releasing the money in favour of any person from the subject account. - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20251 CRL.P No. 7717 of 2025 Subject to the aforesaid observations and directions, the Petition stands disposed of. Sd/- (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE BMV* List No.: 1 Sl No.: 49