THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.549 of 2001 ORDER: The petitioner feels aggrieved by the directions issued by the Station House Officer, Central Crime Station, Detective Department, Hyderabad in directing the freezing of his accounts in the S.P. Road Branch of Corporation Bank, respondent No.3 herein. The petitioner states that he retired from Army Service as a Colonel and joined as an employee in J.V.G. Group of Companies. On a complaint submitted by the depositors and the customers of the said Company, cases were registered against him and on the instructions issued by respondent No.1 vide letter, dated 08.08.2001, his bank accounts were frozen. Learned counsel for the petitioner has placed before this Court, the judgment rendered by the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge in C.C.No.4 of 2002, dated 09.09.2009, through which, the petitioner was acquitted of the charges levelled against him. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Home. The petitioner, no doubt, was facing investigation and trial for the offence under Section 420 I.P.C. read with Sections 3 and 4 of the Andhra Pradesh Protection of Depositors of Financial Establishments Act, 1999. The fact, however, remains that he has since been acquitted. Further, the bank accounts of an accused in a case can be frozen only through an order of the Criminal Court concerned. An Investigating Officer cannot direct freezing of the accounts. This Court passed an interim order on 30.01.2010, directing the respondents to enable the petitioner to draw his pension. In view of the above facts, the writ petition is allowed directing that the freezing order vis-à-vis the bank accounts of the petitioner in respondent No.3 bank shall stand set aside. There shall be no order as to costs. _____________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY,J Dt:10.03.2010. kdl