ANSARI SABLU HAIDARALI Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is before this Court seeking a direction to the respondent to de-freeze his bank account held at Karnataka Bank in the name and style of Saif Oil Traders. As an interim prayer, he seeks stay of further proceedings in Crime No.124 of 2024 registered for offences punishable under Sec. 420 of the IPC and Ss. 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 pending before the 45th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru.

(2.) Facts, in brief, germane are as follows:- The petitioner claims to be a businessman engaged in oil trading. A crime comes to be registered in Crime No.124 of 2024 for offences punishable as afore-quoted against unknown persons. The complainant is one D.S. Rupa, a resident of Bengaluru City. It is the case of the complainant that she has been lured into transfer of money to the tune of Rs.2,28,72,343.00 through whatsapp to various accounts and she has been defrauded by those account holders who have received the amount. Pursuant to registration of the crime, which is an online fraud, a debit freeze order is issued by the Investigating Officer to all the accounts which had received the amount from the complainant, either direct or indirect. One such account is that of the petitioner held in Karnataka Bank. On the account being frozen, the petitioner files an application before the learned Magistrate under Ss. 451 and 457 of the Cr.P.C., seeking de-freezement of the account. When the said application did not find any favour at the hand of the learned Magistrate, the petitioner is before this Court seeking de-freezement of the account.

(3.) Heard Sri Sharan L. Jain, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri B. N. Jagadeesh, learned Additional State Public prosecutor appearing for the respondent/State.