Allahabad High Court
MUNNESH KUMARversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 5 OTHERS
- Decided
Holding
The court held that the bank must de‑freeze the petitioner’s savings account, except for the disputed amount, in accordance with the precedent set in Khalsa Medical Store v. RBI.
Summary
The petitioner, Munnesh Kumar, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the State of Uttar Pradesh and the Punjab National Bank to de‑freeze his savings account that had been frozen by the bank. The petitioner relied on a recent decision of the Lucknow Bench of the same High Court in Khalsa Medical Store v. Reserve Bank of India (Writ‑C No. 12211 of 2025), which the respondents did not dispute. The court examined the earlier judgment and found that the bank’s continued freezing was not justified. Accordingly, the court ordered the bank to de‑freeze the petitioner’s account, retaining only the disputed amount, and clarified that the bank may freeze the account again if it detects any suspicious transaction in the future. The writ petition was disposed of with the relief granted.
Issues considered
- Whether the freezing of the petitioner’s savings bank account by the bank is lawful and can be continued.
- Whether the court can issue a writ of mandamus directing the bank to de‑freeze the account.
Subjects
- bank account freeze
- mandamus
- writ petition
- Reserve Bank of India
- de‑freezing
- Allahabad High Court
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - C No. - 18503 of 2026
Munnesh Kumar
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
State Of U.P. And 5 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Brajesh Kumar Singh, Ram Krishna
Mishra, Santosh Kumar Rao
Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C., Sanjai Singh
Court No. - 40
HON'BLE SARAL SRIVASTAVA, J.
HON'BLE GARIMA PRASHAD, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, Mr. Sanjai Singh, learned
counsel appearing for the respondent No.3 and learned Standing Counsel
appearing for the respondent No.1.
2. The petitioner, by means of the present writ petition, has prayed for the
following main relief:-
"(a) issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of Mandamus
commanding the respondents to de-freeze his saving bank account
No.094611300010313 with Punjab National Bank Etah G.T. Road Branch
Etah forthwith within stipulated period as fixed by this Hon'ble Court."
3. It is submitted that controversy in hand is squarely covered by the
judgement of Lucknow Bench of this Court in the case of Khalsa
Medical Store Thru. Prop. Yashwant Singh Vs. Reserve Bank of
India Thru. Governor And 3 Others passed in Writ-C No.12211 of
2025.
4. The aforesaid fact is not disputed by the learned counsel for the
respondents.
5. In such view of the fact, we dispose off the writ petition in terms of the
judgement and order passed in the case of Khalsa Medical Store (supra)
with a direction to the respondent-Bank to de-freeze the bank account of
the petitioner and release all the amount withheld by the respondent-Bank
WRIC No. 18503 of 2026
2
except the disputed amount. It is made clear that in case respondent-Bank
finds any suspicious transaction in the account of the petitioner in future,
the respondent-Bank shall be at liberty to freeze the account of the
petitioner.
(Garima Prashad,J.) (Saral Srivastava,J.)
May 12, 2026
Kuldeep
Digitally signed by :-
KULDEEP SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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