Ms Jain Hp Vs Union of India and Others — Punjab & Haryana HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Ms Jain Hp Vs Union of India and Others — Punjab & Haryana HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Direction to SBI to mark a lien on the disputed amount of `2,79,738 and make the petitioner's account operational within three days; liberty to the petitioner to avail appropriate remedies in accordance with law to claim the disputed amount; and a direction that any future action by the Bank concerning the account shall follow a show cause notice and consideration of the petitioner's response.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents should be directed to defreeze / make operational the petitioner's bank account bearing no.00000040378237216 with SBI, Railway Road Branch, Ludhiana, which was frozen on instructions from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. +1 more

Court's answer

The petition stands disposed of directing the third respondent/SBI to mark a lien on the disputed amount of `2,79,738 and make the petitioner's account operational within three days.

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner will be at liberty to avail appropriate remedies in accordance with law to claim the disputed amount.

Key takeaways

Any future action by the Bank concerning the petitioner's account can only be taken after issuing a show cause notice and taking the petitioner's response thereto into consideration.ratio¶¶17

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Civil writ petition (CWP-20048-2026) by M/s Jain H.P., a petrol pump operator running for over twenty years, whose current account no.00000040378237216 with SBI, Railway Road Branch, Ludhiana, was frozen on instructions from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal pertaining to objectionable transactions of `2,79,738, without any show cause notice and without the firm being accused of benefiting from any cyber fraud. SBI stated the account could be made operational by marking a lien on the disputed amount, to which counsel for the petitioner had no objection while seeking liberty to claim the amount. The Court disposed of the petition directing SBI to mark the lien and restore account operations within three days, left the petitioner free to pursue appropriate remedies to claim the disputed amount, and directed that any future action by the Bank concerning the account be taken only after issuing a show cause notice and considering the petitioner's response.

CWP-20048-2026 1

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

Sr. No.106 CWP-20048-2026 Date of Decision: 10.07.2026

M/s Jain H.P. .... Petitioner Versus Union of India and others ... Respondents

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TRIBHUVAN DAHIYA

Present: Mr. Rahul Bhargava, Advocate, and

Mr. Tanveer Singh, Advocate, for the petitioner.

Mr. Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India (through video conferencing), assisted by Ms. Neha Sharma, Senior Panel Counsel, Union of India.

Mr. Chandeep Singh, Advocate, for respondent no.3 - SBI. (through video conferencing)

TRIBHUVAN DAHIYA, J. (ORAL)

The petition has been filed inter alia seeking a direction to the respondents to defreeze the petitioner’s bank account bearing no.00000040378237216 with the State Bank of India, Railway Road Branch, District Ludhiana, Punjab.

Learned counsel contended that the petitioner/firm is running a petrol pump for last more than twenty years, and maintains the aforesaid current account for its day to day business operations. It regularly deposits daily cash collection and receives merchant settlements through digital payment platforms. The petitioner, as such, is not accused of being a beneficiary of any cyber fraud, etc., nor has it received any communication ever in this regard. There was, therefore, no basis to take this extreme step of freezing its account, that too without issuing any show cause notice.

MANINDER 2026.07.10 16:31 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this order/judgment

CWP-20048-2026 2

Learned counsel for respondent no.3 – SBI, on instructions, submits that the account was frozen based upon instructions received from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, which pertained to objectionable transactions in the petitioner’s account amounting to `2,79,738. It can be made operational by marking a lien on the said amount.

Learned counsel for the petitioner has no objection to this condition, but prays that the petitioner may be granted liberty to avail appropriate remedy to claim that amount.

In view thereof, the petition stands disposed of directing the third respondent/SBI to mark a lien on the aforementioned disputed amount and make the petitioner’s account operational within three days from today. The petitioner will be at liberty to avail appropriate remedies in accordance with law to claim the disputed amount. It is also directed that in case the Bank is required to take any action concerning the petitioner’s account in future, it can only be after issuing a show cause notice and taking the latter’s response thereto into consideration.

(TRIBHUVAN DAHIYA) JUDGE

10.07.2026 Maninder

Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No Whether reportable : Yes/No

MANINDER 2026.07.10 16:31 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this order/judgment