Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: The Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa has directed authorities to lift the freeze on a bank account belonging to Ajay Gupta, an accused in the Birch by Romeo Lane fire case, ruling that there was no sufficient reason to continue the restriction after the investigation phase.
The order came after Gupta approached the court seeking permission to operate the account, which had been frozen by Anjuna Police during the probe into the fire incident.
In his application, Gupta argued that the account was unrelated to the allegations under investigation and that the prolonged freeze was adversely affecting him.
The prosecution opposed the plea, stating that investigators had found Gupta in Goa when the incident occurred and alleged that he left for Delhi the next day. According to the prosecution, he was subsequently arrested in Delhi on December 10, 2025, and the bank account was frozen as part of the investigative process.
After considering the submissions, the court observed that the prosecution had not established any requirement for the account to remain frozen during the ongoing judicial proceedings.
The court noted that there was no claim that the money held in the account represented proceeds derived from criminal activity. It further pointed out that the prosecution had not argued that the funds were required as evidence for the trial.
Observing that access to a bank account is a significant property right, the court held that restrictions cannot continue indefinitely without a valid legal basis. It added that unnecessary continuation of the freeze could cause undue hardship to the account holder.
In view of these findings, the court allowed Gupta’s application and ordered the de-freezing of the account, enabling normal banking operations to resume.
