Shamsudheen P. v. State of Andhra Pradesh and others

# `IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM` ## `PRESENT` ``` THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN FRIDAY, THE 15[TH] DAY OF MARCH 2024 / 25TH PHALGUNA, 1945 ``` ``` WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023 ``` ## `PETITIONER:` ``` SHAMSUDHEEN.P, AGED 52 YEARS *[CORRECTED] S/O ALIKUTTY.K, PUTHUKKUDY HOUSE, KARIPPOL (P.O), VETTICHIRA, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT, PIN – 676552. ``` ``` *ADDRESS OF PETITIONER IS CORRECTED AS ``` ``` SHAMSUDHEEN. P, S/O MOIDEENKUTTY, AGED 52 YEARS, VALANCHERY KATTIPPARUTHI, VALANCHERI, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT, KERALA, PIN-676552. ``` ``` AS PER ORDER DTD 16.1.24 IN IA 1/24 IN WP(C). ``` ``` BY ADVS. MUHAMMED AMEEN ISTINAF ABDULLAH ``` ## `RESPONDENTS:` ``` 1STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REPRESENTED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, 1ST BLOCK, 1ST FLOOR, A.P SECRETARIAT OFFICE, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATHI, ANDHRA PRADESH, PIN – 522023. ``` ``` 2THE STATE NODAL OFFICER, NATIONAL CYBER REPORTING CRIME PORTAL, OFFICE COMPLEX, 3RD FLOOR, LAKDIPOOL, HYDERABAD, PIN – 500004. 3STATION HOUSE OFFICER, SRIKAKULAM II TOWN POLICE STATION, RANASTHALI, NEW COLONY, SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT, ANDARA PRADESH, PIN – 532001. 4FEDERAL BANK LTD, REPRESENTED BY THE GENERAL MANAGER, FEDERAL TOWERS, PERIYARNAGAR, ALUVA, KERALA, PIN – 683101. ``` ``` WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023 ``` ``` -2- ``` ``` 5THE BRANCH MANAGER, FEDERAL BANK LTD, VALANCHERRY BRANCH, KONNAKKATIL TOWERS, MALAPPURAM, KERALA, PIN – 676552 ``` ``` 6STATE OF KERALA REP.BY CHIEF SECRETARY, SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN – 695001 ``` ``` BY ADV. SRI.S.MANU, DSGI SRI.MOHAN JACOB GEORGE, SC SMT.VIDYA KURIAKOSE, GP ``` ``` THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 15.03.2024, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: ``` ``` WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023 ``` ``` -3- ``` ## `JUDGMENT` ``` In matters relating to the freezing of accounts, this Court has already delivered a judgment inDr.Sajeer v. Reserve Bank of India [2024 (1) KLT 826]. ``` ``` 2.In the aforesaid judgment, certain ``` ``` directions were issued to the respective ``` ``` Banks, as also the Police Authorities, to ``` ``` continue the freeze for a certain period of ``` ``` time and only to the extent which was ``` ``` requisitioned by the Police. ``` ``` 3.However, what makes this case ``` ``` different from the one that was considered by ``` ``` this Court in the aforesaid judgment, is that the requisitions received by the Bank are ``` ``` stated to contain no particular amount, but seek a complete and blanket debit freeze of ``` ## `WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023` ``` -4- ``` ``` all the amounts in credit therein. ``` ``` 4.The legal issues and the imperatives involved have already been discussed by this Court in Dr.Sajeer(supra). A blanket freeze indefinitely, and without any period of time being stipulated by the Police, is certainly deleterious, not only to the account holders but also to the system as a whole; and the view in this regard of this Court is clearly ``` ``` reflected in Dr.Sajeer (supra). ``` ``` 5.However, since the Bank is now ``` ``` incapacitated from allowing the operation of the account of the petitioner because the ``` ``` requisition issued to them do not contain any particular amount, I am certain that this ``` ``` Court is enjoined to deal with this matter, sufficientlyprotectingboththe ``` ``` investigation, as also the account holders. I ``` ## `WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023` ``` -5- ``` ``` am persuaded to such course because, the blanket freeze of an account, if it is not ``` ``` imperatively necessary, will be an affront to ``` ``` the rights of the account holders and ``` ``` impinges even their right to livelihood, since, in this era, everyone relies upon ``` ``` banking transactions as the primary source. ``` ``` In the afore circumstances, following ``` ``` Dr.Sajeer(supra), I dispose of this writ ``` ``` petition with the following directions: ``` ``` (a) The respondent Bank is directed to ``` ``` immediately issue a request to the Investigation Authority/Police Authority and ``` ``` seek the amount which is required to be kept ``` ``` in freeze or held in lien in the account of the petitioner. This shall be done by the Bank within a period of one month from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. ``` ## `WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023` ``` -6- ``` ``` (b) In the event that the Investigating Officer/Police Authority responds to the afore requisition and mentions a particular amount, as being the sum that is required to be kept frozen or held in lien, then the ``` ``` respondent Bank will confine the freeze/lien ``` ``` to such an extent and allow the petitioner/account holder to deal with his account and transact therein beyond that limit. ``` ``` (c) On the contrary, if no information is ``` ``` receivedfromthePolice ``` ``` Authority/Investigating officer within a ``` ``` period of two months from the date on which the afore requisition was made by the respondent Bank, then they will allow the petitioner/account holder to transact fully in his account, notwithstanding the debit ``` ## `WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023` ``` -7- ``` ``` freeze requisition, subject to any further ``` ``` information to be received from the Police Authority/Investigating Officer in future. ``` - `(d) As an alternative, if the response` ``` from the Police Authority/Investigating ``` ``` Officer is that the entire account be frozen for any reason that is mentioned therein, thentheBankwillinformthe ``` ``` petitioner/account holder accordingly and ``` ``` continue the freeze in such a manner for a ``` ``` further period of eight months thereafter. ``` ``` (e)If, after a period of eight months, ``` ``` the requisition made by the Police ``` ``` Authorities - either to a particular sum or ``` ``` the full amount in the account of the account holder - is not withdrawn, then the ``` ``` petitioner/account holder will be at full liberty to approach this Court again; for ``` ``` WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023 ``` ``` -8- which purpose, all contentions in this writ petition are reserved to him to be impelled in future. ``` ``` Sd/- ``` ``` DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN ``` ``` JUDGE ``` ``` akv ``` ``` WP(C) NO. 41887 OF 2023 ``` ``` -9- ``` ## `APPENDIX OF WP(C) 41887/2023` ## `PETITIONER EXHIBITS` |`EXHIBIT P1`|`THE COPY OF TRADE LICENSE FEE RECEIPT`| |---|---| ||`DATED 17/09/2020 ISSUED BY VALANCHERRY`| ||`MUNCIPALITY`| |`EXHIBIT P2`|`THE TRUE COPY OF RELEVANT PAGE OF`| ||`PASSBOOK DATED 20/10/2009`| |`EXHIBIT P3`|`THE TRUE COPY OF THE NOTICE ISSUED BY`| ||`A.P POLICE DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF`| ||`ANDHRA PRADESH DATED 18/10/2022`| |`EXHIBIT P4`|`THE COPY OF REPRESENTATION FILED`| ||`BEFORE THE 5TH RESPONDENT DATED`| ||`16/11/2023`| |`EXHIBIT P5`|`A TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGEMENT`| ||`25/09/2023 IN WPC 28797 OF 2023 BY`| ||`THIS HON'BLE COURT`|