Allahabad High Court
ANKURversusSTATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER
- Decided
Holding
The bank must defreeze the petitioner’s account and release all funds except Rs 1,200, subject to re‑freezing if suspicious activity is later discovered.
Summary
The petitioner, Ankur, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the respondents to defreeze his bank account (No. 038410175277, IFSC IPOS000001) held with India Post Payments Bank. The petitioner relied on a prior decision of the Lucknow Bench in Khalsa Medical Store v. Reserve Bank of India (Writ‑C No.12211 of 2025). The respondents did not dispute the facts. The Allahabad High Court, applying the precedent, ordered the bank to defreeze the account and release all amounts except the disputed sum of Rs 1,200, while reserving the bank’s right to re‑freeze if any further suspicious transactions are detected. The petition was disposed with the relief granted.
Issues considered
- What relief, if any, is appropriate for a petitioner whose bank account has been frozen?
- Whether the bank must defreeze the account in accordance with the precedent set in Khalsa Medical Store v. RBI?
Subjects
- bank account freeze
- mandamus
- defreeze
- high court writ
- banking regulation
- precedent
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - C No. - 9467 of 2026
Ankur
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
State of U.P. and Another
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Bhola Nath Garg
Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C., Rajesh Tripathi
Court No. - 40
HON'BLE SARAL SRIVASTAVA, J.
HON'BLE GARIMA PRASHAD, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, Sri Amrish Sahai, learned
counsel for the respondent No.2 and Sri Rajesh Tripathi, learned counsel
for the Union of India.
2. The petitioner, by means of the present writ petition, has prayed for the
following main relief:-
"I. Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus
commanding and directing to the respondents to defreeze the
petitioner's Bank Account No.038410175277, IFSC Code
IPOS000001 maintained at India Post Payments Bank, Delhi
Srinivaspuri Branch, and allow the petitioner to free access to
his bank account without any hindrance."
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)
WRIC No. 9467 of 2026
2
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
except the disputed amount i.e. Rs.1,200/-. It is made clear that in case
respondent-Bank finds any further suspicious transaction in the account of
the petitioner, the respondent-Bank shall be at liberty to freeze the
account of the petitioner.
(Garima Prashad,J.) (Saral Srivastava,J.)
May 7, 2026
Kuldeep
Digitally signed by :-
KULDEEP SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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