- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO.12327 OF 2025 BETWEEN: SRI. C.KIRAN KUMAR S/O SRI.C.NARASIMHULU AGED 35 YEARS RESIDENT OF DOOR NO.27-8-1933 SUBASH NAGAR MUDDIREDDYPALLI HINDUPUR TALUK ANANTHAPURA DISTRICT ANDHRA PRADESH - 515201 …PETITIONER (BY SRI.ASHWINI C.S, ADVOCATE) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA K.G. HALLI POLICE STATION BENGALURU NOW IN CENTRAL CRIME BRANCH (EOW) BENGALURU REP BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALURU - 560001 …RESPONDENT (BY SRI.M.R.PATIL, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/SEC.482 CR.PC (FILED U/SEC.528 BNSS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS Digitally signed by CHAITHRA A Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO QUASH THE ORDER DATED 15.07.2025 PASSED BY THE I ADDL. CJM, AT BENGALURU, IN CRIME NO.306/2023 OF K.G HALLI POLICE STATION NOW IN CCB POLICE AND TO DIRECT THE MANAGER, AXIS BANK, HINDUPUR BRANCH, MUDDIREDDY PALLI, ANANTHAPUR DISTRICT, ANDRA PRADESH TO DEFRREZE THE ACCOUNT BEARING A/C NO.921010039273216 IFSC CODE UTIB0001015 AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR ORAL ORDER In this petition, the petitioner is seeking for the following reliefs. "WHEREFORE, the petitioner prays that this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to set aside the order dated 15.07.2025, passed by the I Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, at Bengaluru, in Crime No.306/2023 of K.G.Halli Police Station, now in CCB Police, and to direct the Manager, Axis Bank, Hindupur Branch, Muddireddy Palli, Ananthapur District, Andhra Pradesh to defreeze the account bearing No.A/c No.921010039273216; IFSC Code:UTIB0001015 at Annexure-A, in the interest of justice, equity and law." 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned HCGP appearing for the respondent and perused the materials on record. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 3. A perusal of the material on records, would indicate that one V.S.Karthik – Defacto Complainant filed a complaint dated 26.07.2023 registered in Crime No.306/2023 against the petitioner – accused No.3 as well as two others persons for the alleged offences punishable under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2008. According to the complainant, the petitioner along with accused Nos.1 and 2 are alleged to have been transferred a sum of Rs.20,00,000/- from the bank account of the Complainant to the bank account of the petitioner in Axis Bank thereby committed alleged offences. In this context, it is pertinent to extract the said complaint, which reads as under; "ಇಂದ, ೕ .ಎ ಾ ೕ ಸುಬಮಣಂ 27 ವಷ ಾಸ ನಂ-182(2) 14ೇ ಎ PÁæ , 9ೇ ಮುಖ ೆಕ!"-06. #ೆ$.ಎ .ಆ" &ೇಔ(, )ೆಂಗಳ,ರು-02 ªÉÆ - 8050567802. UÉ, ./ೕ ಇ£ïì0ೆPÀÖ" ೆ.1 ಹ34 ./ೕ 5ಾ6ೆ )ೆಂಗಳ,ರು-45. 7ಾನ8ೇ, ಷಯ:- ವಂಕೃಷ;, ೋ= ಾAiÀiïÌ #ಾಗೂ >ರ? ರವರುಗಳ ರುದ@ ದೂರು. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 ಾನು ಈ BೕಲDಂಡ Fಾಸದ/G ಾಸಾHದುIೊಂಡು ೈರK Lೋ MNOಾ 0ೆP./ ಎಂಬ N1ಟK 7ಾೆRಂS ಕಂಪUಯ/G Vೈರಕ!" ಆH ಸು7ಾರು 4 ವಷಗ3ಂದ ಮೆಯ/GWೕ ೆಲಸ 7ಾNೊಂNರುXೆYೕೆ. ಸದZ ಕಂಪUಯ ಮುಖ ಕ[ೇZ ಉೇ ಮತುY .ಲಂ^ನ/GದುI ನನ_ೆ ಸಂಬಳವನು` ಸವZ ಕಂಪUಯವರು _ೊGೕಬK ಕ8ೆUaOಾದ ಯು.ಎ .N.Rಯ/G ೊಡುXಾY8ೆ. ಸಂಬಳವb ನನ` ೆಲಸದ ಆcಾರದ Bೕ&ೆ UೕಡುXಾY8ೆ. ಾನು ಸದZ ಯು.ಎ .N.R ಕ8ೆUaಯನು` ಇಂNಯನು` ಕ8ೆUa_ೆ ಕನdಟ 7ಾಡಲು ನನ` )ಾಲ ೆ`ೕeತ ವಂಕೃಷ;ರವZ_ೆ ೊಡು YfೆIನು ಅದರಂXೆ ಅವನು ತನ` ಕMೕಷ Xೆ_ೆದುೊಂಡು ಕನdR 7ಾN ೊಡು YದIನು. eೕHರುಾ_ೆh Uೆ` iನ iಾಂಕ.25/07/2023 ರಂದು ಮcಾಹ` 02-00 ಗಂjೆಯ ಸಮಯದ/G ವಂಕೃಷ; ಾನು ನಮk ಮೆಯ/Gರುವ ಕ8ೆ 7ಾN ಾನು 2ೇ ಮಹNಯ/G ಾಸಾHರುವbದZಂದ ಮೆlಂದ ೆಳ_ೆ ಬರುವಂXೆ 3ಸುXಾYೆ. ಅದರಂXೆ ಾನು ೆಳ_ೆ ಬಂfೆನು. mೆ ಬ_ೆh 7ಾತಾಡ)ೇೆಂದು ನನ_ೆ ಾZನ/G ಕೂNmೊಂಡರು. ಸದZ ಾZನ/G ವಂಕೃಷ; ಮತುY ೆ`ೕeತ8ಾದ ೋ= ಾAiÀiïÌ #ಾಗೂ >ರ? ರವರುಗ3ದIರು. ಾವb ಾZನ/G ಬರುಾಗ 7ಾಗ ಮcೆ ನನ` n)ೈK Xೆ_ೆದುೊಂಡು ಅವ8ೇ n)ೈKUಂದ ಸು7ಾರು 1.8 ಲo ಯು.ಎ .N.R _ೊGೕಬK ಕ8ೆUaಯನು` ಮತುY 20 ಲo ರೂಗಳನು` ನನ` )ಾಂ pಾXೆlಂದ ವ_ಾವ6ೆ 7ಾNೊಂNದುI ಅಲGfೆ ಇನು` 60 ಲo ರೂಗಳನು` ೊಡುವಂXೆ ೇ3ದರು. ಆಗ ಾನು ನನ` ಹ Yರ ಇqೊ!ಂದು ಹಣಲG ¦ಳ4ಣ; _ಾಡ ನ/Gರುವ ನಮk 7ಾವನವರ ಮೆಯ/Gfೆ ಎಂದು #ೇ3fಾಗ ನನ_ೆ rಳ4ಣ; _ಾಡನ ನಮk 7ಾವನವರ ಮೆ_ೆ ಕ8ೆದುೊಂಡು ಬಂiರುXಾY8ೆ. ನಂತರ ನೊ`ಂi_ೆ ೋzï ಾAiÀiïÌನನು` ನಮk 7ಾವನ ಮೆ_ೆ ಕಳsem ವಂಕೃಷ; ಮತುY >ರ? ರವರುಗಳs ಾZನ/GWೕ ಕು3ತುೊಂಡರು. ಾನು ನಮk 7ಾವನ ಹ Yರ ನVೆದ tಾರ #ೇಳsವಷ!ರ/G tಾರ 3ದು ಅ/Gಂದ #ೊರಟು #ೋHರುXಾY8ೆ. ಆದIZಂದ ನನ` pಾXೆlಂದ ಎ&ೇಾuU ಾಧನವನು` ಬ3mೊಂಡು ಹಣವನು` ವ_ಾವ6ೆ 7ಾNೊಂNರುವ ವಂಕೃಷ;, ೋ= - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 ಾಯD #ಾಗೂ >ರ? ರವರುಗಳ ರುzzÀÝ ಸೂಕY ಾನೂನು ಕಮ ೈ_ೊಳ4)ೇೆಂದು ನಂ " EAw vÀªÀÄä «±Áé¹ ¸À»/- 4. Subsequently, the petitioner filed an application under Sections 451 and 457 of Cr.P.C seeking defreeze of the account, which was frozen by the respondent‘s Police Authorities pursuant to the impugned complaint. The said application having been opposed by the respondent, the Trial Court proceeded to pass the impugned order rejecting the application filed by the petitioner, who is before this Court by way of the present petition. 5. On perusal of the impugned order, it would indicate that the Trial Court rejected the application without assigning any valid or cogent reasons. It is relevant to state that the Trial Court failed to consider and appreciate that the complaint contains the bald, omnibus and general allegations, which do not attract the allegations of the offence contemplated for the offences punishable under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2008. It is also pertinent to note that the alleged transfer of the amount is said to have been done as long as 25.07.2023, the - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 police Authorities have not completed the investigation and have not filed any charge sheet even till today. Under these circumstances, I am of the considered opinion that the question of continuation of the freezing of the petitioner’s bank account would not arise in the facts and circumstances of the instant case and the impugned order passed by the Trial Court deserves to be set-aside and the application filed by the petitioner deserves to the allowed by imposing certain conditions. 6. In the result, this Court proceeds to pass the following; ORDER (i) The petition is hereby allowed. (ii) The impugned order dated 15.07.2025 is hereby set-aside subject to the petitioner executing Indemnity Bond before the Trial Court immediately upon receipt of copy of this Order. (iii) The application filed by the petitioner – accused No.3 seeking defreezing of his bank account in the Axis Bank, Hindupur Branch is hereby allowed and the respondent as well as the Axis Bank are - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42729 CRL.P No. 12327 of 2025 directed to defreeze the account of the petitioner immediately upon receipt of copy of this Order. (iv) The petitioner is directed to co-operate with the investigation by the respondent’s police Authorities who are directed to file charge sheet in accordance with the law as expeditiously as possible. Sd/- (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE NBM List No.: 2 Sl No.: 1