The. Hyderabad .cricket Association v. The State of Telangana

Petition under Article 226 of rhe constitution of lndia praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High court may be pleased to issue a writ, order or a direction more so in the nature of writ of Mandamus. (a) declaring the action of the Respondents in debit freezing the Petitioners bank account 'with Respondent No.3 bank bearing Account No. 1179214oo00o7 having IFSC code cNRBooO1179 unilateraily without assigning any reasons and in contravention to section 106 of the BNSS as being illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutio na I and without jurisdiction, and consequentty direct the Respondents to defreeze the Petitioners bank account bearing with Respondent No.3 bank Account No. 1179214000007 having IFSC code cNRBoo0l 129, and (b) Direct Respondents No.1 and 2 to pay compensation of Rs. .15,00,000! for such illegal action of freezing the Petitioner's bank account. I L 1l I IANO:1OF202s Petition under section i 5i cpc praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High court may be pleased to Suspend the freezing of the Petitioners bank account bearing Account No. 1179214O00OO7 having IFSC Code CNR130001179. Counsel for the Petitioner : SRI V.RAJENDER RAO Counsel forthe Respondents No.1&2: AGp FOR HOME Counsel forthe Respondents No.3: -- The Court made the following: ORDER I THE HONOURABLE SRI IUSTICE N.V.SHRAVAN KUMAR WRIT PETITION No.26281 of 2025 ORDER: Heard Sri A. Venkatesh, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner and learned Assistant Government pleader for Home appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2. With their consent, this writ petition is being taken up for disposal at the admission stage.

2. This writ petition is filed questioning the action of the respondents in debit freezing the petitioner''s bank account with respondent No.3 bank bearing Account No.1179214000007 having IFSC Code CNRB0001179 unilaterally without assigning any reasons and i. contravenLion to sectio' 106 of the BNSS and with a consequential prayer to direct the responclents to defreeze the petitioner's bank account with respondent No.3 bank bearing Account No.117921400007 having IFSC Code cNftB001179 and direct the respondent Nos.1 and 2 to pay compensation of Rs.15,00,000/_ fol such illegal action of freezing the petitioner,s bank account.

3. The petitioner is the governing body ot cricket activities in Hyderabad and other Districts in the state of relar-rgana and the Hyderabad Cricket Team and it is affiliated member of tl-re Board of Control ior Cricket in India (BCCI). The petitioner association is involved in deveroping ancr prornoting the sport of cricket in the Statc of Telangana. The petilioner is being represented by its interim C.E.O wherein he rvas orally inforrneri by respondent No.3 bank that { 2 -'E., i the petitioner's bank account with respondent No.3 bank beari.g Account No.1179214000007 having IFSC Code cNRB0001179was freezerl on the instructions of respondent No.2 in connection with crime No.2 of 2025 registered at Criminal Investigatiorl Department (CID) police Station, Telangana on 09.06.2025. It is further subrnitted that in the First information report, Remand report of the aforementioned Crime No.2 of 2025 would reveal that the petitioner association is merely a third party and has no involvement with the said Crime No.2 of 2025. The petitioner,s bank account was freezed on 2"d week of July, 2025 and communicated the same to the petitioner orally. The iearned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the crime No.2 of 2025 was registered by the police station, Crime Investigation Department, Telangana on 09.06.2025 against the office bearers of present Apex Council of petitioner association and that the petitioner is merely a third party and not even an accused in the said crime. The action of the respondent No.3 in freezi,g the bank u..oLpt has halted the operations of the petitioner society from July, 2025 and now the petitioner,s society requires to discharge its financial obligations. 4 Learned Government Pleader appeariflg for Home submits that the petitioner's associaHon in'the llernorandum of Association and Rules and -t'r' Regulations, 2018 (tor short 'Rules') u*der Chapter-V Management, for the purpose of functioning of the petitioner's association, should foilow the Ruie 22 (2) to the extent of operating the bank account. Rure 22 (2) of the said Rules have been extracted for reference: ,,22.EFFICIENCY IN FUNCTIONING: 1 2. xxxxxxxx 'fhe bark account of the HCA shall be operated by 2 authorized signatories from out of a list of authorized signatories designated by the Apex Council from amonSst the professional management who are based out of the HCA Headquarters at Hyderabad,"

5. In that view of the matter, since the petitioner's association has to follow their own rules and the new incumbents representing the petitioner's association names have to be noted in the KYC records, respondent No.3 shall consider these resolutions and proceedings issued by the petitioner's association and in accordance to the same the respondent No.3 is directed to defreeze the petitioner's bank account with respondent No.3 bank bearing Accourt No.1179214000007 having IFSC Code CNR80001179, subject to the compliance of Rule 22 (2) of the Rules.

6. With these observations, this writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. Miscellaneous applications, if any pending, shall stand clpsed. //TRUE COPY// s6l: S. rrltAir-rmnlurue nno ASSISTANT REGISTRAR &" SE FFICER To,

1. The Principal Secretary, Home Department, 3rd Floor, A Block, Secretariat,State of Telangana, Hyderabad - 50OO22.

2. The Addl. Superintendent of Police, lnvestigating Officer, Central lnvestigation Department, ClD, 3rd Floor, DGP Office, Lakadikapul, Hyderabad -004 3. Branch Manager, Canara Bank, located at 9146, 13-18, Beside Saibaba Temple, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad - 500660

4. One CC to SRI V.RAJENDER RAO, Advocate [OPUC] 5. Two CCs to GP FOR HOME, High Court for the State of Telangana at Hyderabad. [OUT] Two CD Copies (.4- o K-* BSK .Lr:.. HIGH GOURT DATED:0210912025 CC TODAY t{t1S73 1 (. C) (J [ 4 SEP ?tr6 ORDER WP.No.26281 of 2025 I DISPOSING OF THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT COSTS tA- o t \ L)