RBI has proposed a new framework under which banks will temporarily freeze only the disputed transaction amount, rather than the entire account, when unusual transfers of Rs 1,000 or more are flagged as potentially linked to mule accounts or cyber fraud. Banks will be required to use Al-based transaction monitoring systems to identify transfers that are sudden, disproportionate to a customer's declared profile or linked to known cyber-fraud networks. The draft directions are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027, although banks can adopt them earlier. According to RBI, the framework follows Supreme Court's Aug 4, 2026, order directing it to prescribe and circulate an SOP for temporary debit holds on amounts or accounts linked to money-mule activity and cyber-enabled fraud.