Signal India's Lok Sabha Passes Bankers' Books Evidence Bill 2026, Allowing Police Access to Bank Records Without Court Order

Summary

India's Lok Sabha passed the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 by voice vote on August 5, 2026, without a single word of debate as opposition members continued sloganeering, Moneylife reported. The bill, introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on August 3, replaces the 1891-era Bankers' Books Evidence Act and recognizes electronic, digital, virtual, and cloud-based banking records as legally admissible evidence, modernizing the law for digital banking. Its most controversial provision allows police officers of Superintendent of Police (SP) rank or above to access citizens' complete bank transaction histories without judicial oversight. Critics argue this provision enables unchecked surveillance bypassing judicial safeguards and places significant legal burdens on bank managers regarding cybersecurity declarations. The bill now awaits approval from the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of parliament.