Thick winter fog once again hit flight operations in Delhi and parts of northern India, prompting major airlines including IndiGo, Air India and Delhi Airport to issue advisories for passengers on Sunday, January 18. With visibility dropping sharply in the early hours
IDBI Bank on Saturday (January 17, 2026) reported almost flat profit at ₹1,935 crore for the third quarter ended December 2025. The LIC-controlled bank reported a net profit of ₹1,908 crore in the year-ago period. However, the bank's total income declined to ₹8
J-K Weather Update: Jammu and Kashmir is facing intense cold with sub-zero night temperatures across the Valley and a sharp 96 per cent rainfall deficit in early January, raising concerns for farmers, horticulture and water supply as people await the season's first major snowfall
The Congress in Rajasthan has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating mass deletion of voters during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, reported The Indian Express on Sunday. This came after a video, showing a booth-level officer alleging that he was being
Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman sparked a flurry of political reactions after he suggested that he got lesser work in recent years possibly due to a “power shift” within the Hindi film industry which could be linked to a “communal thing
On January 12, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) PSLV-C62 mission lifted off from Sriharikota carrying the EOS-N1 satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites. Within minutes, ISRO said the mission had “encountered an anomaly during end of the PS3 stage”
Prime Minister Modi's remarks come as Congress suffered a crushing defeat in the recent BMC polls, winning just 24 seats while the BJP-Shinde alliance dominated with 118 seats (BJP 89, Shinde Sena 29). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress
Motorola will launch its new Moto Watch in India on January 23, featuring a 1.4 inch OLED display, IP68 rating, and advanced health tracking feature. The watch supports Moto AI and dual-frequency GPS. Motorola has confirmed that its new Moto Watch will be launching in India alongside the Motorola
SC places before CJI plea for SOP on freezing, de-freezing of bank accounts during cybercrime probes
The Supreme Court has directed a plea seeking a Standard Operating Procedure for freezing/de-freezing bank accounts during cybercrime probes to be placed before the Chief Justice of India. This follows the Centre's submission that the issue is already under consideration in a suo moto matter concerning digital arrests.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed that a plea seeking directions to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure governing freezing and de-freezing of bank accounts during cybercrime probes be placed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and SVN Bhatti directed the apex court registry to seek instruction from the CJI and place the matter accordingly before appropriate bench after it was informed by the Centre that the CJI-led bench was already hearing a suo moto matter related to digital arrests, where the same issue is under consideration.
"Anil Kaushik, ASG further submits that as far as prayers 'B' and 'C' are concerned, they are the subject matter of consideration before another bench of this Court in Suo Moto Writ Petition (Crl.) No.... In view of the above, the registry to obtain appropriate orders from the Chief Justice of India and post the matter accordingly," the top court said in its order on January 16.
The top court had earlier agreed to examine the plea which have prayer 'B' stating that no bank account shall be frozen without a written reasoned order and intimation to the account holder within 24 hours of such action and every freezing order shall be forthwith reported to the jurisdictional magistrate as mandated under Section 106(3) of BNSS/ 102(3) of the CrPC.
Its prayer 'C' seeks direction to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India to formulate a uniform Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing freezing and de-freezing of bank accounts during cybercrime investigations, so as to prevent arbitrary action and ensure procedural fairness nationwide.
At the outset, Kaushik informed the bench that Centre has not freezed the bank accounts of petitioners, who alleged the action was taken without intimation.
On January 6, the top court had asked the copy of the petition to be served on the Centre within three days, and listed the matter next week.
The plea also sought the issuance of appropriate guidelines to all investigating agencies, including cyber cells across the country, to ensure that no bank account is frozen without a written, reasoned order and intimation to the account holder within 24 hours of such action.
The plea filed by petitioner Vivek Varshney, through advocate Tushar Manohar Khairnar ,said he was aggrieved by the "arbitrary freezing/holding" of his bank account(s) by the Cyber Cell of Tamil Nadu police allegedly without any prior notice, communication or judicial approval, thereby violating his fundamental rights under Articles 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.
The petitioner claimed that the freezing order in his case has resulted in complete financial paralysis, restricting him from carrying out his professional and personal obligations, including payment of essential expenses, taxes and liabilities.
"It is respectfully submitted that Section 106(3) of BNSS/ 102(3) of the Cr.P.C. mandates that any seizure or freezing of property must be forthwith reported to the jurisdictional magistrate. However, in the instant case, no such compliance has been made. The action of the respondents is, therefore, without jurisdiction, arbitrary, and unconstitutional," it said.
The plea highlighted that there is currently no uniform procedure or Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) governing the freezing and unfreezing of bank accounts during cybercrime or financial investigations.
"Consequently, citizens across different states are subjected to inconsistent practices, prolonged freezing periods, and deprivation of their financial rights without due process.
"Hence, this court's indulgence is sought to (i) direct the immediate defreezing of the petitioner's account(s); and (ii) frame uniform guidelines to ensure procedural safeguards, proportionality, and accountability in all future actions of this nature," it said.
Varshney, whose bank account was allegedly frozen due to transaction related to sale of jewellery, submitted that his writ petition was filed to formulate a rule that unless an account holder is proven to be complicit in a crime, their entire bank account or amount more than alleged to be involved in the crime should not be frozen merely because a suspicious transaction has been traced to it.
"Recognising the increasing frequency of such cases", the plea urged the court to "formulate guidelines to save the common man from suffering from unnecessary harassment".
It also urged the court to direct "the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to formulate a uniform policy and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the cases of similar nature where cyber cell issues notices freezing accounts."
Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: SC allows withdrawal of plea against Savarkar portraits in public buildings SC to hear on Jan 15 plea filed by film's producer challenging Madras HC order HC disposes of TMC plea in I-PAC raids case Calcutta High Court disposes of TMC’s plea after ED denies seizing documents Delhi HC seeks CBI reply on victim’s plea Supreme Court defers hearing on plea of C Central Florida on alert for freezing temperatures amid strong cold front SC Rejects Justice Varma's Plea Challenging Impeachment Proceedings Justice Varma’s plea against probe rejected CJI Kant lays foundation for court complexes across six UP districts
The programme covers nearly 400 organisations, including 305 academic institutions and 95 startups, and seeks to train thousands of students, researchers, and engineers across India. New Delhi: Over one lakh individuals have enrolled in India's chip design training programmes, with around 67
1 minutes ago
Indian space start-up Galaxeye is set to launch its first satellite, Mission Drishti, in early 2024. This satellite will combine optical and radar imaging for all-weather earth observation. The company plans to expand this into a constellation of ten satellites by 2030
1 minutes ago
Mrunal Thakur and Dhanush have been rumoured to be dating since last year, however, neither of them has confirmed or acknowledged the rumours. Meanwhile, recently, the actors hit the headlines after speculations about their wedding went viral
1 minutes ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off five new Amrit Bharat Express trains on Sunday, marking another major step in expanding India's long-distance rail network aimed at improving travel experience and connectivity for the common man
1 minutes ago
Vir Das has opened up about the decision he made while shooting for Happy Patel. The actor-comedian recently revealed that the sets of the film followed a strict no-cell phone policy, a move that he believes helped create a more productive work environment
1 minutes ago
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon on Saturday (January 17, 2026) confirmed he was not asked to be Federal Reserve chair, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump disputed a report saying he offered Mr. Dimon the role. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr
1 minutes ago
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks come amid an ongoing legal battle between the Enforcement Directorate and the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a veiled attack on the Central government in the presence of the
1 minutes ago
US President Donald Trump's apparently coercive threat to force Western allies not to oppose his proposed annexation of Greenland, or face further damage to their trade with the US, is without both parallel and precedent. We've had some unusual and unexpected economic threats from President Trump
1 minutes ago
In its latest attempt to improve the rate of 1.0 children per woman, China has imposed taxes on condoms, birth control pills and other contraceptives as the once the world's most populous country struggles with anaemic fertility rates. As of January 1, according to The Conversation report
1 minutes ago
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has complemented these safety measures by deploying a specialized chef to oversee the players' nutritional intake. India's captain Shubman Gill has taken extraordinary measures to protect the national squad ahead of the third and final One Day
1 minutes ago
The Government has launched the new one-in-all salary account for central staff to cover banking, insurance, and cards at one stop. The Composite Salary Account Package was launched by the Department of Financial Services (DFS). All Central Government employees (Group A
1 minutes ago
AR Rahman recently found himself at the centre of controversy after describing Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava as a “divisive" film. The composer's comments have now drawn a sharp response from actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who accused Rahman of prejudice and bias
1 minutes ago
For decades, conversations about metabolism and weight have largely focused on calories; how much we eat and how much we burn. But for people with thyroid conditions, this calorie-centric approach often misses the point. The thyroid is not a passive responder to energy intake; it relies on a
1 minutes ago
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday (January 17, 2026) asked the ICC to swap its national team with Ireland in Group C during the upcoming T20 World Cup in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India. Bangladesh is currently placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England
1 minutes ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched two new Amrit Bharat Express trains from Assam. He also initiated the Kaziranga elevated corridor project. This significant infrastructure development will enhance connectivity to Upper Assam. The project includes a wildlife corridor to protect animals and
Just now
Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra minister Raj K Purohit, a prominent voice for north Indian communities in Mumbai, has passed away at the age of 71 following an illness. Purohit, who served as the party's city president and chief whip in the assembly
1 minutes ago
Investors can now bid for co-ownership of Srinagar Ke Veer, a successful franchise in the Indian Street Premier League. The team, co-owned by Akshay Kumar, has shown strong performance. This offers a chance to partner with the league and Akshay Kumar
Just now
Today Gold, Silver Rate January 18: Check 18, 22, 24 carat Gold prices in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata Gold has been regarded as one of the safest investments for many years because it has a proven track record of preserving wealth during periods of inflation and market volatility
Just now
Ahead of the 77th Republic Day, the Republic Day sales have begun on most major e-commerce platforms that are offering hefty discounts on various iPhone models. The phones that are currently being discounted range from the latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro
Just now
For decades, cervical cancer in India has been quietly boxed into a misleading narrative – that it is a disease that concerns only married women. This assumption has done more harm than good. It delays screening, discourages young women from seeking preventive care
1 minutes ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said recent election results across the country clearly indicate that voters are rejecting the Congress's “negative politics" and increasingly placing their faith in the BJP for governance and development. Addressing a public gathering in Assam
Just now
Noted music composer A R Rahman shared a video post on his social media on Sunday, addressing the backlash following his comments in one of the recent interviews and said the intentions can "sometimes be misunderstood", but he didn't wish to cause any pain with his words
Just now
Eight separate cases have been lodged in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi against those allegedly spreading AI-generated images and misleading information on social media regarding the redevelopment work at the Manikarnika Ghat, officials said. Also Read | Protest erupts against demolition drive at
Just now
India's Under-19 team avoided a major setback at the ICC U-19 World Cup, thanks to a sensational bowling performance from young pacer Vihaan Malhotra, who emerged as the unlikely hero in a rain-affected thriller against Bangladesh. India's Under-19 team avoided a major setback at the ICC U-19 World
Just now
The Australian Open 2026 is set to get underway, with a packed opening day at Melbourne Park. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will launch his pursuit of a first title here, while two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka will defend her top seeding. Adding extra excitement
Just now
The Goa government revealed to the legislative assembly that the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, site of a recent fatal fire claiming 25 lives, had been identified for illegal construction by revenue officials in 2024. Documents presented show the club was built on converted land
Just now
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singur in TMC-ruled West Bengal comes not just ahead of the polls, but targets sore points in the state's political history, with the launching of infrastructure projects in the town carrying significant political weight
1 minutes ago
