Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court's decision that upheld the State Bank of India's (SBI) decision classifying his and Reliance Communications' accounts as fraud. The Bombay High Court on October 3, 2025, dismissed a petition filed by the industrialist. The court has upheld a decision by the SBI noting that there was no legal flaw in it. In the judgement, the court ruled that the SBI's order of June 13, 2025, was "a reasoned order" with "no infirmity".
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale on October 3 dismissed a petition filed by Ambani, challenging the SBI order.
Court found no merit
The court found "no merit" in Ambani's plea, asserting there was no "infirmity" in the bank's action.
The industrialist's primary contention was that the SBI order was void because he was denied a personal hearing and was not allowed to access the relevant documents.
The bench said that Ambani had never requested a personal hearing in the first place, thus validating the SBI's adherence to regulatory requirements.
Court backed SBI
The court explicitly backed the procedure followed by the SBI, noting that the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Master Directions only provide the right to make a representation, not a right to a personal hearing, before such a classification is made.
In the order, the court said the principles of natural justice cannot be applied in a straitjacket formula and in the present case Ambani was afforded an adequate opportunity to submit his objections in writing.
"Hence, the requirement of fairness and compliance with the principle of natural justice, stood satisfied," the court held.
Ambani had submitted his response to the show-cause notice issued by the SBI last year, and only when there was no response to the last communication, the bank passed the order classifying the account as fraud, the court said.
With PTI inputs
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