HC issues notice to police, IDBI Bank for freezing Prakash Padukone's bank account

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Banashankari police and IDBI Bank, Malleshwaram branch, while hearing a petition filed by former shuttle champion Prakash Padukone.

The petitioner has moved the court challenging the freezing of his account by the bank.

After hearing the opening argument, Justice A S Bopanna issued the notice to the police and IDBI bank. The petitioner pleaded that the directions of the police to the bank - to freeze his account - be quashed. Padukone also stated that the said account was jointly held by the petitioner, his wife Ujjala and daughter Anisha.

Padukone also sought an interim relief from the court, and pleaded that his accounts be unfrozen.

According to the petitioner, neither IDBI bank nor the police sent him a notice before freezing his account.

When the petitioner contacted the bank in this regard, the bank informally told him that they had received a notice from the police under section 91 of the Criminal Procedure directing them to freeze the bank account.

Padukone stated in his petition that the manner in which their accounts have been frozen is illegal and unconstitutional. Also, this has deprived them of their right to use and access their bank accounts.

Padukone's account was frozen by IDBI bank when the police had directed it to freeze accounts of all individuals who had invested in Vikram Investments, a city-based firm that has been accused of a multicrore fraud.