Karnataka HC Asks Registry To Examine E-Notarisation For Court Filings [Read Order]

Bengaluru: While disposing of a writ petition filed by IIFL Finance Limited over the freezing of its bank account, the Karnataka High Court took note of the fact that the petitioner's affidavit of compliance had been e-Notarised, and directed the Registry to examine enabling e-Notarisation for filings before the High Court as well as the District Courts.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj was hearing the petition filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution, in which IIFL Finance had challenged a notice issued under Sections 94 and 106 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime Police Station, Bengaluru, which had resulted in its current account with ICICI Bank being frozen.

During the hearing, the Court noted that an affidavit of compliance had been filed by the petitioner and taken it on record. It was in this context that the Court observed that the affidavit had been e-Notarised, and proceeded to direct the “Registrar (Judicial)… to bring the above to the notice of the Registrar General and Registrar (computers) to enable the implementation of e-Notarisation, if possible, in the filings to be made before this court and the District courts.”

The direction was incidental to the main relief sought in the petition, which concerned the freezing of the petitioner's account. On that aspect, the Court recorded that the matter had been referred to the Cyber Command, pursuant to which the debit freeze on the account had been lifted and the lien on it reduced to Rs.1,19,00,000. Disposing of the petition on this basis, the Court reserved liberty to the petitioner to raise a dispute on the Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) portal, and to agitate any issue it may have before the court seized of the underlying criminal proceedings.

The Registrar (Judicial) has been directed to forward a copy of the order to the Registrar General and the Registrar (Computers) for necessary action, which would include follow-up on the e-Notarisation direction.

Appearances:

Smt. Priyanka S. Bhat, Advocate, appeared for the petitioner, IIFL Finance Limited.

Sri Mohammed Jafar Shah, Additional Government Advocate, appeared for Respondent No. 1 (State of Karnataka); Sri Francis Xavier, Advocate, appeared for Respondent No. 2 (ICICI Bank Limited); and Smt. Chithralekha H.R., Advocate, appeared for the impleading Respondent No. 3.

Case Title: IIFL Finance Limited vs. State of Karnataka and Others, Writ Petition No. 19419 of 2026 (GM-RES) (Neutral Citation No. 2026:KHC:44202).

[Read Order]