Karnataka HC upholds police power to debit-freeze bank accounts under Section 106 BNSS without prior court order

The Karnataka High Court has upheld the power of police officers to debit-freeze bank accounts during a crime investigation under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, without obtaining prior judicial permission. According to a press release issued by the Karnataka State Cyber Command on Wednesday, the court, presided over by Justice M Nagaprasanna, clarified that police officers are required to freeze the account during the investigation and report the action forthwith to the jurisdictional Magistrate. The High Court also quashed earlier orders passed by the Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, d…