If you've defaulted on a loan, your bank may place a lien on your savings or current accounts to recover the debt. This means the funds in those accounts are frozen and cannot be accessed. The Contract Act, 1872, grants banks the right to place a lien on a borrower's assets until the debt is settled. While a bank can typically lien accounts held with them, the ability to lien a Demat account depends on whether the same bank also maintains that account, even if managed through a local broker.