APHC010121442026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3396] FRIDAY, THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF MARCH TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1858/2026 Between: 1. KARAN RAJESH SINGH, S/O RAJESH SINGHAGED 22 YEARS, OCC.STUDENTADHAAR NO623362910330R/O D.NO.105, 1ST FLOOR,B WING, VIRAJ APARTMENTPANCHALA NAGAR,NALLASOPARAWEST,THANE,NALASPOARAMAHARASTRA- 401203 ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, STATION HOUSE OFFICERBHIMAVARAM I TOWNREP.BY PUBLIC PROSECUTORHIGH COURT, AMARAVATHI 2. VADAREVU LAKSHMI KUMARI, W/O GOPALAKRISHNA, AGED ABOUT 66 YEARS.RESIDING AT DOOR NO. 203,GANDHAM APARTMENTS,GANDHAMVENKAYYA NAIDU STREET,SBI MAIN BRANCHBHIMAVARAM TOWN AND MANDALWEST GODAVARI DISTRICTANDHRAPRADESH. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT(S): Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court pleased to grant Regular Bail to the Petitioner/Accused.No.2 by enlarging him on bail in FIR No. 194 / 2025 dt. 10-09-2025 on the file Bhimavaram I Town Police Station, Bhimavaram Town and Mandal , West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh and pass 2 Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. VUNDAVALLI JAGADISH VC Counsel for the Respondent/complainant(S): 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 3 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1858/2026 ORDER : This Criminal Petition, under Sections 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, has been filed by the petitioner/Accused No.2, seeking regular bail, in FIR No. 194 / 2025 dt. 10-09-2025 on the file Bhimavaram I Town Police Station, Bhimavaram Town and Mandal, West Godavari District, registered for the offence punishable under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 308(2), 351(4) AND 111 (2) read with 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short „the BNS‟) and Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, 2000. 2. Heard Mr. Vundavalli Jagadish VC, learned counsel for the Petitioner, and Mrs.K.Priyanka Lakshmi, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor on behalf of the State. 3. The prosecution case, in brief, is that this is a case of multifaceted cyber-enabled financial crime, falling under the critical category of “digital arrest.” The core of the offence lies in cheating by personation using computer resources, carried out as organized crime by a syndicate that stole the identities of victims and impersonated police and bank officials. Their actions caused severe psychological trauma to the elderly victims, Vadarevu Lakshmi Kumari and Vadarevu Gopalakrishna, through constant threats and a form of false “digital arrest.” As a result, the victims were coerced into transferring an amount of Rs. 99 lakhs through six RTGS transactions. These transactions 4 occurred between 22.04.2025 at 15:00 hours and 10.09.2025. The matter was reported to the Bhimavaram I Town Police Station on 10.09.2025 at 05:40 PM by the complainant, along with her husband and second son. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner/accused No.2 is a first year degree student pursuing B.Sc. (IT) from University of Mumbai, affiliated to S.K.C. Degree College. He has been falsely implicated in this crime and has no manner of connection with the alleged crime. Learned counsel would further submit that the petitioner is a past T.B. patient and there are chances of recurrence. He would further submit that the petitioner‟s academic examinations are presently in progress and the final examinations are scheduled to be held in April, 2026. It is further submitted that the petitioner is ready and willing to furnish sufficient sureties to the satisfaction of the Court to secure his presence for the purpose of investigation. 5. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor vehemently opposed the petition and would submit that there are specific overt acts attributed to the petitioner/Accused No. 2. She further submitted that the investigation is still in progress and is at a crucial stage. She also submitted that a custody petition is pending before the jurisdictional Court. It is a cybercrime case involving a huge amount of money under the category of “digital arrest”. She finally prays for dismissal of the petition. 5 6. Considering the submissions made and upon perusal of the material on record, as rightly contended by the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor, investigation is at crucial stage, custody petition against the petitioner is pending before the Jurisdictional Court and in light of the nature and gravity of the allegations levelled against the petitioner, this Court is not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner at this stage. 7. Accordingly, the Criminal Petition is dismissed. As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this Criminal Petition shall stand closed. __________________________________ DR.VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA, J Date: 13.03.2026. UPS 6 244 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1858/2026 Dt: 13.03.2026 UPS