HDFC Bank Account Freeze Case Listed

Authority: Gauhati High Court (High Court of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh)

Order Date: 17.08.2026

Case Overview

• Petitioner: Sh Lalsawirema, son of Zozinga, resident of Venglai, Kolasib, Mizoram.
• Respondents: HDFC Bank Ltd. and four others (State of Tamil Nadu, R.V. Gowtham DSP, D.K. Chandrasekha).
• The petitioner challenged an order dated 28.01.2026 of the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Kolasib, which directed that his civil matter would be taken up only after disposal of criminal writ WP(Crl.) No.9/2025.
• HDFC Bank had frozen the petitioner’s bank account based on a 03.03.2025 order of the XIth Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, Chennai, relating to criminal proceedings in Tamil Nadu, affecting even undisputed amounts.
• The respondents argued that an interim order in WP(Crl.) No.9/2025 was appealed (WA No.01/2026) and disposed on 20.05.2026, vacating the interim order but leaving the criminal writ pending.
• The Division Bench held that a writ petition under Section 226 is not maintainable against an order of a competent criminal court in Tamil Nadu, and therefore the interim order was vacated; however, no final dismissal of the criminal writ was made.

Final Outcome

• The High Court held that the civil proceedings cannot proceed until the criminal writ WP(Crl.) No.9/2025 is closed.
• The matter was ordered to be listed again on 25.08.2026 together with the pending criminal writ WP(Crl.) No.9/2025.
• The registry will notify the counsels of the parties.

Topics: Bank Account Freeze, Court Proceedings