WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 1 2025:KER:30489 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.S.DIAS MONDAY, THE 7TH DAY OF APRIL 2025 / 17TH CHAITHRA, 1947 WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 PETITIONER: RAHUL RAJ AGED 28 YEARS S/O.R, KARUNNEL VADAKKATHIL, THAMALLAKKAL, THAMALLACKAL SOUTH PO., VTC: KUMARAPURAM, PO THAMALLACKAL ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT, PIN - 69054 BY ADVS. ALEX K.JOHN GEGO GEORGE REENA JACOB RESPONDENTS: 1 UNION OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMANT MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS GOVT.OF INDIA NEW DELHI, PIN - 110001 2 RESERVE BANK OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY ITS GOVERNOR, HEAD OFFICE, MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, PIN - 400029 3 NATIONAL CYBER CRIME REPORTING PORTAL REPRESENTED BY ITS DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HIGHWAY - 8, MAHIPALPUR, NEW DELHI, PIN - 110037 4 STATE POLICE CHIEF POLICE HEAD QUARTERS VAZHUTHACAUD, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695014 5 INVESTIGATING OFFICER SPECIAL CYBER INVESTIGATION UNIT, JAIPUR SOUTH, POLICE STATION ASHOK NAGAR, RAJSTHAN, PIN - 302006 WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 2 2025:KER:30489 6 DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE HIMACHAL PRADESH 35QG+W7Q, NIGAM VIHAR, CHOTTA SHIMLA, SHIMLA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, PIN - 171002 7 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER BILAZPUR POLICE STATION, TALAI, HIMACHAL PRADESH, PIN - 171002 8 AXIS BANK LTD JAWAHAR NAGAR, LEELA TOWERS, PONNURINNI ROAD, VYTILLA REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGER, PIN - 682019 9 COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ( SOUGHT TO BE IMPLEADED ) JAIPUR, MAHESH NAGAR POLICE STATION JAIPUR SOUTH, RAJASTHAN ( SOUGHT TO BE IMPLEADED ) BY ADVS. ADVOCATE GENERAL OFFICE KERALA Saju N. A. G.LEKHA(K/1507/2000) P.J.FLONY(K/313/2007) UMA.G.KRISHNAN(K/973/2004) SHRI.P.NARAYANAN, SPL. G.P. TO DGP AND ADDL. P.P. () dsgi sri dinesh gp sri b s syamanthak THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 07.04.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 3 2025:KER:30489 JUDGMENT The writ petition is filed to direct the 8th respondent bank to lift the freezing of the petitioner’s bank account bearing No. 924020042337862. 2. The petitioner’s case is that, he is the holder of the above bank account with the 8th respondent bank. The said account has been debit freezed by the 8th respondent pursuant to the requisition received from the Police. The action of the 8th respondent is arbitrary. Hence, the writ petition. 3. Heard; the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, learned Government Pleader and the learned counsel for the 8th respondent. 4. The learned counsel for the 8th respondent submitted that the disputed amount is Rs.1,66,273/-. 5. In considering an identical matter, this Court in Dr.Sajeer v. Reserve Bank of India [2024 (1) KLT 826] held as follows: “ a. The respondent Banks arrayed in these cases, are directed to confine the order of freeze against the accounts WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 4 2025:KER:30489 of the respective petitioners, only to the extent of the amounts mentioned in the order/requisition issued to them by the Police Authorities. This shall be done forthwith, so as to enable the petitioners to deal with their accounts, and transact therein, beyond that limit. b. The respondent – Police Authorities concerned are hereby directed to inform the respective Banks as to whether freezing of accounts of the petitioners in these Writ Petitions will require to be continued even in the afore manner; and if so, for what further time, within a period of eight months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. c. On the Banks receiving the afore information/intimation from the Police Authorities, they will adhere with it and complete necessary action – either continuing the freeze for such period as mentioned therein; or withdrawing it, as the case may be. d. If, however, no information or intimation is received by their Banks in terms of directions (b) above, the petitioners or such among them, will be at full liberty to approach this Court again; for which purpose, all their contentions in these Writ Petitions are left open and reserved to them, to impel in future.” 6. Subsequently, this Court in Nazeer K.T v. Manager, Federal Bank Ltd [2024 KHC OnLine 768], after concurring with the view in Dr.Sajeer's case (supra) and taking into consideration Section 102 of the Code of Criminal WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 5 2025:KER:30489 Procedure (now Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023] and the interpretation of Section 102 of the Code laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in State of Maharashtra v. Tapas D Neogy [(1999) 7 SCC 685], Teesta Atul Setalvad v. State of Gujarat [(2018) 2 SCC 372] and Shento Varghese v. Julfikar Husen and others [2024 SCC OnLine SC 895], has held thus: “8. The above discussion leads to the conclusion that, while delay in forthwith reporting the seizure to the Magistrate may only be an irregularity, total failure to report the seizure will definitely have a negative impact on the validity of the seizure. In such circumstances, account holders like the petitioner, most of whom are not even made accused in the crimes registered, cannot be made to wait indefinitely hoping that the police may act in tune with S.102 and report the seizure as mandated under Sub-section (3) at some point of time. In that view of the matter, the following direction is issued, in addition to the directions in Dr.Sajeer (supra). (i) The Police officer concerned shall inform the banks whether the seizure of the bank account has been reported to the jurisdictional Magistrate and if not, the time limit within which the seizure will be reported. If no intimation as to the compliance or the proposal to comply with the S.102 is informed to bank within one month ofreceipt of a copy of the judgment, the bank shall lift the debit freeze imposed on the petitioner's WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 6 2025:KER:30489 account. (ii) In order to enable the police to comply with the above direction, the bank as well as the petitioner shall forthwith serve a copy of this judgment to the officer concerned and retain proof of such service. 7. I am in complete agreement with the views in Dr.Sajeer and Nazeer K.T cases (supra). The above principles squarely apply to the facts of the case on hand. In the above conspectus, I dispose of the writ petition by passing the following directions: (i). The 8th respondent Bank is directed to confine the freezing order of the petitioner's bank account only to the extent of the amount mentioned in the order/requisition issued by the Police Authorities. The above exercise shall be done forthwith, so as to enable the petitioner to transact through his account beyond the said limit; (ii). The Police Authorities are hereby directed to inform the Bank as to whether freezing of the petitioner's account will be required to be continued even in the afore manner; and if so, for what further time; WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 7 2025:KER:30489 (iii) On the Bank receiving the afore information/intimation from the Police Authorities, they will adhere with it and complete necessary action – either continuing the freeze for such period as mentioned therein; or withdrawing it, as the case may be; (iv). If, however, no information or intimation is received by the Bank in terms of direction (ii) above, the petitioner will be at full liberty to approach this Court again; for which purpose, all his contentions in this Writ Petition are left open and reserved to him, to impel in future; (v) The jurisdictional police officers shall inform the Bank whether the seizure of the bank account has been reported to the jurisdictional Magistrate and if not, the time limit within which the seizure will be reported. If no intimation as to the compliance or the proposal to comply with Section 102 of the Cr.P.C. is received by the Bank within two months of receipt of a copy of this judgment, the Bank shall lift the debit freeze or remove the lien, as the case may be, on the petitioner's bank account; WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 8 2025:KER:30489 (vi) In order to enable the Police to comply with the above direction, the Bank, as well as the petitioner, shall forthwith serve a copy of this judgment to the jurisdictional officer and retain proof of such service. The writ petition is ordered accordingly. Sd/-C.S.DIAS JUDGE lsn WP(C) NO. 1418 OF 2025 9 2025:KER:30489 APPENDIX OF WP(C) 1418/2025 PETITIONER EXHIBITS Exhibit P1 THE TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT OF FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION DETAILS DATED 16.11.2024 Exhibit P2 THE TRUE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT DETAILS OF AXIS BANK WHO IS THE 7TH RESPONDENT RELATED TO THE PETITIONER DATED NIL Exhibit P3 TRUE COPY OF THE COMPLAINT AND ITS REPLY DATED 29.11.2024 OF PETITIONER AND 7TH RESPONDENT RESPECTIVELY