Imagine you wake up in the morning and find out your bank account has been blocked. You rush to the bank in a panic, only to discover that it wasn't the bank that did it, but the cyber police. In banking terms, this is called placing a lien. The most shocking part is that this can happen even if you haven't committed any crime; if even a small amount of money from a fraudulent transaction, say just 100 rupees, is deposited into your account, your bank account can be frozen. The biggest problem is that the bank doesn't give you any prior notice. You only find out when you try to withdraw or transfer money, and the transaction fails.

What is a money trail, and why do ordinary people get caught in it?
When the cyber police investigate an online fraud or scam, they trace the path the stolen money has taken. This is called a money trail. Criminals often transfer large sums of stolen money in small amounts to hundreds of different accounts to mislead the police. If, by chance, even 100 rupees from this chain ends up in your account, the police suspect that you might also be part of the syndicate. As a result, the police ordered the entire account to be frozen, considering it suspicious.

Know the important decision of the Rajasthan High Court.
If something similar happens to you and your account is frozen, there's no need to panic. The law is there to protect you. In the 'Sayed Sarfaraj vs RBI' case, the Rajasthan High Court clearly instructed that the cyber police cannot block a person's entire bank account for just one suspicious transaction. According to the court, the police have the right to hold only the amount that is in dispute. For example, if there is a discrepancy of 100 rupees, only 100 rupees should be blocked, not the rest of the money in your account. The correct procedure for unfreezing your account:
If your account is frozen, you should first go to your bank branch. There, request the details of the cyber cell that restricted your account. The bank is required to obtain this information from the police within 7 days. Afterward, you will need to contact the cyber cell via email or phone and provide proof of your transactions. If the police do not cooperate, you can send a legal notice to the cyber cell through a lawyer. Typically, with proper explanation and legal intervention, the bank account is reactivated within 15 days.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.