New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- Under fire from the Supreme Court over what it termed "gross" misconduct and "collusion" in loan recovery proceedings, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) has now barred its branches and zonal offices from directly approaching high courts in matters under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) Act. The bank has also advised for the withdrawal of all writ petitions already pending before high courts across the country in such cases. The instructions, recorded in an affidavit placed before a bench of justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, mark a direct fallout of the apex court's strong rebuke last month when it pulled up the bank for simultaneously pursuing...