Delhi High Court Upholds Right to Economic Existence; Orders Bank Account Defreezing

The Delhi High Court ruled that freezing a bank account without any accusations or judicial orders impedes an individual's right to life. The court ordered a private bank to defreeze an individual's account, which was arbitrarily frozen following a complaint. The court emphasized the critical role of bank accounts in economic existence.

The Delhi High Court has issued a significant ruling, emphasizing that a bank account constitutes the very essence of an individual's economic existence and cannot be arbitrarily frozen in the absence of formal accusations or judicial orders.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, hearing a case involving the arbitrary freezing of an individual's bank account by a private bank following a complaint from the Gujarat Cyber Crime Police, directed the immediate defreezing of the account. The court highlighted that without substantial evidence linking the account holder to any crime, such actions were deemed arbitrary and infringed on the right to life.

This decision arrives after the court noted the absence of accusations, FIRs, or judicial directives against the petitioner, rendering the account freeze unjustified. The court reiterated that while the petitioner must cooperate with any ongoing investigations, his fundamental economic rights must be preserved.