Venkumahanthi Naresh Kumar Vs Union of India

Venkumahanthi Naresh^{Kumar, S/o. Venkumahanthi Venakata} _^{surya.Prakash} niij'As".3t vears,^{Occ.Pvt. Employee,R/o.-46-116, Bhag-ath-SinghNagar'} Cnintat"noaO, Qutubullapur^{Mandal,'Hyberabad, Telangana- 500054}

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...PETITIONER

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AND

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1 . Union of lndia,^{Represent by it's Secretary, Ministry of Finance,New Delhi}

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Reserve Bank of^{lndia (RBl), Represent by its Chief General Manager, 6,} Sansad Marg, New Delhi^{- 110001}

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lclcl Bank, Rep.^{by its ChiefManager,lClCl BankTowers,Financial} Qist, - ptoiruo tZ Nan'afrimguda, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana 500032

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.AXIS BANK, Rep by^{its Chief Manager-Ground.Floor,S-rivenMall,} [t'liy?p'l' iiA; J i Mgir, Cc Emptoyees^{Coloiv,Mavuri Nagar, Mivapur, Hvderabad'} Telangana 500049

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Kotak Mahindra Bank^{Limited, Rep by its Chief Manager'} Q2-a1d^{G4, Manisai} - kitvan ArCioe, Balaji Mandir Miyapui, x Road, Hyderabad, Telangana 500050

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Cao Float Financial Services^{Private Limited, New No. 3 (Old No' 211 )'} . Gokaldas Platinum, Upper^{Palace Orchards, BellaryRoad,Sadashiva Nagar'} Bengaluru^- 560080.

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SBI Cards and^{Payments ServicesLimited,-(S-Bl..C.9rd! Rep' by its Ctief} fr,li'niq"i, OLf CyOer^{City, Tower C, Block 2, Building 3 DLF lnfinity Towers,} 12th F-loor, Gurugram,^{HR- 122002.}

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IDFC FIRST BANK^{Limited, Rep by its Chief Manager GroundFloor,Plot No} - o-2.-survev No 68, Door No 1-i21il<zl6-7, Nearby Athidhi Restuarant, Miy'apur, Serilingampalle^{(M), Telangana500049}

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1. YES e outnimi BANK, Rep t iaga'r c'otony,^{by its Chief Jawahar Manager Ground eolony, Chanda Nagar, Hyderabad,Floor,.ShopNo'11,77,.NH 65,} Telangana 500050

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't0.Ghalla lind Bhansali Securities Pvt Ltd, Rep by its Chief Manager, Devansh, 133, Dala Saheb Phalke Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra⁴⁰⁰⁰¹⁴

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1'1 . Northern Arc Capital Limited, Rep by its Chief Manager, 10th, llTM RESEAI1CH PARK, Kanagam Rd, Kanagam, Tharamani, Chennai,^Tamil Nadu 6C,01 13

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12.Pay U Finance lndia Private Limited, Rep. by its Chief Manager, Empresa Building Office No .102 Second Road, KharWest, Mumbai, Maharashtra,400 o52.

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'13. BAJAJ F:INANCE llMITED, Rep. by its Chief Manager, 6th Floor, Bajaj Finsery Corpora:e Office, Pune-Ahmednagar Road,^Viman Nagar, Pune,^Maharastra- 411014.

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HDFC BANK Limited, Rep by its Chief ManagerPN 26, 33/A and 34lB, Gr Flr, Delta Hc,use. Sy No 68, Allwyn Cross Road Miyapur, Hyderabad^- 500049

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NDX P2l) Private Limited, Rep by its Chief Manager 102, Lachiram Plaza, C Wing, G,\KV Marg, Goregaon^(E), Mumbai, Maharashtra 400063

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Muthoot Finance Limited, Rep by its Chief Manager, H. No. 15-21-4612, First Floor, Srinivas Complex MJ Colony Balaji Nagar, Piller number^B13, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, Telangana^5O0O72

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KRAZYE EE Services Private Ltd, Rep. by its Chief Manager, The Royal Stone P:rrk, No. 100, Sakshi Nagar, Pai Layout, Bennigana Halli, Bengaluru, Karnatak.a - 560016.

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18..AU Small Finance Bank Limited, Rep. by its Chief Manager, 564, Hemanta Basu Sa-ani, Stephen House, BBD Bag, Kolkata - 700001

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19.Mas finarrcial Services Ltd, Rep by its Chief Manager, 6, Ground Floor, Narayan Chambers B/H. Patang Hotel, Nehru Bridge, Corner, Ashram Rd, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009

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RAL Bank Limited, Rep. by its Chief lManager Shop no 5-4110 and 5-4111 Ground foor, Chanda Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500050

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HERO FINCORP Ltd, Rep. by its Chief Manager, A-44, Mohan Cooperative lndustrial Estate, Mathura Road, New Delhi - 11OO44.

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22.Early Salary Services Pvt Ltd, Rep. by its Chief Manager, UNIT NO. 404, THE CHAMBE:RS VIMAN NAGAR NA, PUNE, Pune, Maharastra

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23..Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Ltd, Rep by its Chief Manager, Hotel Green Park, 7-1-58, Concourse House Ameerpet Opp. Lalbunglow, Road, Hyderabad, Telangana 50001 2

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24.TAPSTAIIT CAPITAL PVT. LTD, Rep by its Chief Manager, Unit No G408, 4th Floor, Gamma Block, Varthur Hobli Sigma Soft Tech Park, No. 7, Whitefiekl Road, Bangalore - 560066, Karnataka

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...RESPONDENTS

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Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of lndia^praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issur> an appropriate Writ, Order, or Direction, more particularly in the

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nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action^{of respondent Nos. 3 to 24} in attempting to recover^{amountsfrom the petitioner in an arbitrary, illegal,and} high-handed manner without^{following the due processof law and in blatant} violation of the Reserve Bank of^{lndiaCircular dated} 12.OB.2022bearingNo.RBl/2022-231108,DOR.ORG.REC.65l21 .04.15812022-23, and further declaring the inaction of^{respondentNo.2 in enforcingthe, said} Circular as unconstitutional and^{violative of Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the} Constitution of lndia, and consequently^{direct the respondent authoritiesto} refrain from undertaking any^{coerciveor unlawful recovery measures against the} petitioner and to strictly comply with the due^process of^{law and the afore Mid} Circular in all recovery^{proceedings, and further restrain respondentNos. 3 to 24,} their agents, recovery agents,^{executives, managers, Or any personactingon} their behalf from engagingⁱⁿ any^{acts of intimidation, harassment, humiliation,or} intrusion into the^privacy of the^{petitioner or his familymembers, referees or} friends, including^persistent or^{anonymous calls,threatening messages, or} physical visits to the petitioners^premises, and further^{direct respondentNo. 2 to} enforce the said RBI Circular^{in letter and spirit and to initiate appropriateand} stringent action against the errant^{officialsof respondentNos. 3 to 24 for} violating legal norms, and^{pending disposalof the writ petition,direct the} respondent Nos. 3 lo 24 not to^{resort to any coercive measures against the} petitioner except through laMul means and in strict^{adherence to the Circular} dated 12.08.2022.

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Counsel for the Petitioner:^{SRI BONTHU LOKESH PHANINDRA REDDY}

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Counset for the Respondents^{No 1,2 : SRIN BHUJANGARAOSC} FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

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Counselfor the Respondent^{No 5 : SRI V SANTOSH}

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Counsel for the Respondent^{No 9 : SRI N SUDHARSHAN}

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Counsel for the Respondent^{No 22 : SRI M DEVENDER REDDY}

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Counsel for the Respondent^{No 14 : SRI M P KASHYAP}

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Counsel for the Respondents^{No 3,4,6 To 8,1 To 13 & 15 To 21To 24:} --

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The Court made the following:^ORDER

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THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE NAGESI{ BHEEMAPAKA WRIT PETITION No.277 80 of 2025

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ORDER:

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Sri B. Lokesh Phanindra, learned counsel for the petitioner; learned Standing Counsel for Central Government, for respondent No.1; Sri v. Santosh, leatned counsel for respondent No.S; Sri N. Sudharshan, learned counscl for rt:spondent No.9 and Sri M. Devender Reddy, learned counsel for respondent No.22.

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When the matter is taken up for hearing, learned counsel for petitioner sultmitted that the issue raised in this Writ petition is squarely covered by the order passcd by this court in w.p.No.S2oo of 2024, dated 25-04.2024 eLnd therefore, the same order may be passed in this writ petition as well. The operative portion of the said order reads as under:

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"8 - For the aforesaid reasons and as the proced.ure a<topted by the respondent Nos.4 to 7 for ...o'u"ry of loan arnount from the petitioner, amounts to violation of ihe rights gttaranteed under Articles 14 and 2l of the Constitution of India, this court deems it appropriate to direct the respondents, to ensure that the agents engaged by them for recovery of the loan amounts, shall strictly follow the guiidelines and instructions issued by the Reslrve Bank of India and also the judgments of the Hon,ble supreme court in rcrcl Bank Ltd vs. prakash Kaur's case (i supra) and ICICI Bank Vs. Shanti Devi Sharma,s case (2 .rpr"j. 9- with tlee above said direction, the writ petition is di:;posed of.,,

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Learned Sta'ding counsel for respondent Nos. 1, s, 9 and 22 have no objecl.ion.

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Accordingly, in terms of the order passed by this court iu V/.P.No.52OO of 2024, ciated 25.O4.2024, and for th9 reasons alike, this writ petition is disposeci of directing the respondent authorities and thcir agents to scrupulously follow the guidelines/instructions issued by the Reserve Bank of India in its Circular dated 12.08.2022 and also the judgments of Hon'ble Supreme Court in ICICI Bank Ltd. v. Prakash Kaur'ls case ancl ICICI Bank v. Shanti Devi Sharma'2s case, while recovering the loan amounts from the petitioner. No costs.

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Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall gtand closed

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t1zoo1) 2 gcc 't I I troos) I Soc^{53 z}

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SD/- M. JAWAHAR RED ASSISTANT

//TRUE COPYII

SECTION OFFICER

To,

The Secretary, Mi nistry of Finance, Union of lndia, New Delhi 2- il3i"#i,I,9?ffi61,ranaser,^{Reserve Bank of tndia(RBt),} 6, sansad Marg,

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,/ 3. one cl to SRt BONTHU LOKESH PHAN|NDRA REDDy Advocate [opuc] 4. one c,l to SRt N BHUJANGA RAo DEpury soltctroR GENERAL oF tNDtA IOPUC]

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1. One Ctl to SRt V SANTOSH, Advocate [OpUC] 6. One C(] to SRt N SDHARSHAN, Advocate tOpUCl 7. One CC to SRI M DEVENDER REDDY, Advocate tOpUCl B. One C3 to SRt fU^p KASHYAP, Advocate IOPUCI 9. Two Cr) Copies

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