Court orders NCCIA to probe Rs4.8m ‘unauthorised’ transactions from Gul Plaza victim’s account

A sessions court in Karachi has ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate a disputed Rs4.8 million transaction from the bank account of a Gul Plaza fire victim. The victim, Muhammad Shahzad, filed an application under Sections 22-A and 22-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure after alleging unauthorized transactions of Rs1 million and Rs3.8 million to different accounts without his knowledge.

Shahzad claimed to have been provided with Rs7 million in financial assistance by the Sindh government to rebuild his business after the fire destroyed his shop. The Sindh bank (SBP) asked the court to determine whether banks complied with digital banking security standards and suggested reporting the findings within 45 days. However, the private bank reported that the transactions were executed through its digital app, and its internal investigation found that the activity originated from Shahzad's own device.

The court ordered the NCCIA, the investigating officer, and the private banks holding the beneficiary accounts to conduct a comprehensive investigation within 45 days and submit a report addressing whether the banks complied with digital banking security requirements.