Habitat For Humanity Foundation v. Union Bank Of India
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.4828 OF 2025 JITENDRA SHANKAR NIJASURE Habitat for Humanity Foundation
...Petitioner
JITENDRA SHANKAR NIJASURE Date: 2025.12.24 20:41:36 +0530
Versus
Union Bank of India
...Respondent
---------- Mr. Siddhant Dhavale i/b. MZM Legal LLP for the Petitioner. Dr. Chanchal Choudhary with Ms. Sandhya Yadav for the Respondent Nos.1 and 2.
---------- CORAM : R.I. CHAGLA AND FARHAN P. DUBASH, JJ.
DATE :
23RD DECEMBER, 2025 ORDER :
1.
The present Writ Petition has been filed by the Petitioner Trust seeking directions against Respondent - Union Bank of India to immediately unfreeze and restore full banking operations to the Petitioner Trust's Account No.315602010586555.
2.
The Petitioner contends that sometime in or about July, 2025 the Respondent - Bank has unilaterally frozen its account bearing No.315602010586555 and thereafter prevented the Petitioner from accessing the monies lying therein. 3.
When the matter was called today, Dr. Chanchal Choudhary, learned Counsel appearing for the Respondent - Bank tenders a copy of an undated letter addressed to the Branch Manager of the Respondent - Bank by one Dr. Asif Pyarali Bhojani and one Advocate Ulhas Naik, who are stated therein to be permanent Life Time Trustees of the Petitioner's Trust. This letter is received by the Respondent - Bank on 5th July, 2025 as reflected from the date mentioned above rubber stamp / affixed thereon, acknowledging its receipt.
4.
A perusal of this undated letter shows that the two persons who have addressed this letter have informed the Respondent - Bank that there might be misuse of the funds lying in the account of the Petitioner and in paragraph 3 they have provided
details of seven sets of unused cheque numbers and they have requested Respondent - Bank to immediately issue stop payment instructions for the said unused cheques.
5.
Mr. Siddhant Dhavale, learned Counsel appearing for the Petitioner submits that in June 2025, a Change Report was submitted to the Respondent - Bank showing that the said two persons who had addressed the letter dated 5th July, 2025 were no longer Trustees of the Petitioner Trust since they had resigned on 21st May, 2025 and 19th May, 2025. Accordingly, the signatories to the bank account of the Petitioner respectively were sought to be amended / updated. We are informed that this was done on 6th June, 2025. 6.
Despite the above, upon receipt of this undated letter from very same two persons, the Respondent - Bank has unilaterally gone and frozen the bank account of the Petitioner. 7.
We have heard both parties today. After hearing and upon our inclination to grant the relief/s sought in the present Writ
Petition, learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the Respondent - Bank makes a statement on instructions of his clients, that the Respondent - Bank will forthwith unfreeze the said Petitioner's Account bearing No.315602010586555 in the course of today and therefrom permit all banking activities therefrom. The statement is accepted.
8.
Considering the above statement no further reliefs are required to be granted in the present Writ Petition, which is accordingly disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. [FARHAN P. DUBASH, J.] [R.I. CHAGLA J.] jsn.