PANJIM, Aug. 2 -- In a major ruling defending the constitutional rights of Indian citizens against international regulations, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed two private banks to defreeze the bank accounts of a senior marine officer whose accounts were frozen following an alleged alert linked to the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list.

The petitioner, Capt Lincoln Francisco Viegas of Xirro, Carmona, had approached the High Court seeking the restoration of access to his accounts and permission to operate them without restrictions. He also sought monetary compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the alleged financial losses and inconvenience caused by the freezing of his accounts, besides seeking directi...