1 2026:CGHC:23890 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 2742 of 2026 Abdulla Laskar S/o Arfat Ali Lskar Aged About 33 Years R/o Diamond Harbour Netra Uttar Shehardaha, District- South 24 Pargana, West Bangal ... Applicant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through-Station House Officer, P.S. Civil Line District- Raipur (CG) ... Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Sanjay Kumar Sahu, Advocate For Non-Applicant/State : Mr. Soumya Rai, Dy. Govt. Advocate. Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 15.06.2026 1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicant who has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 496/2024 registered at Police Station Civil Line, District – Raipur (C.G.), for the offence punishable under Sections 318(4) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. 2. As per the prosecution story in brief, the complainant lodged a written complaint at the police station stating that on 09.09.2024, he searched on the Google platform for obtaining an ATM card of the State Bank of India. Thereafter, one Akash Verma contacted him from mobile number ABHISHEK SHRIVAS Digitally signed by ABHISHEK SHRIVAS Date: 2026.06.16 15:01:18 +0530 2 9674552875 and informed him that he would receive the ATM card through courier within two days, for which he would have to pay a charge of Rs. 2/- and collect the ATM card by showing his Aadhaar Card. It is further alleged that Akash Verma sent a link through his WhatsApp number 7629906931 to the complainant’s WhatsApp number 7828724068 and asked him to click on the said link. Upon clicking the link, an application namely “Customer App Zoho Assist Zoho Corporation” was opened. Through the said application, Akash Verma instructed the complainant to enter certain numbers, which the complainant continued to enter in the application. In this manner, the numbers were entered in the said application about 7-8 times. Thereafter, on 10.09.2024, Akash Verma again contacted the complainant and asked for the last six digits of his SBI ATM card, whereupon the complainant disclosed the same. After about an hour, the complainant received a message on his mobile phone regarding deduction of money from his bank account. Thereafter, he visited the State Bank of India situated at Shanti Nagar and obtained his bank statement. It is alleged that Akash Verma fraudulently withdrew a total amount of Rs. 9,00,000/- from the complainant’s bank account through online fraud by using the application “Customer App Zoho Assist Zoho Corporation” on the pretext of issuing an ATM card. On the basis of the said written complaint, Police Station Civil Line, District Raipur (C.G.), registered a case against the accused vide Crime No. 496/2024 for the offences punishable under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Section 66(C) of the IT Act. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant has been falsely implicated in this case. He submits that the complainant himself stated that one Akash Verma had called him, sent the link, and 3 later asked for the ATM number. However, the said Akash Verma, who is the main accused person, has nowhere been mentioned as an accused in the case, which clearly shows that the present applicant has been falsely implicated. He also submits that as per the prosecution story, it is evident that the bank account in which the alleged fraudulent amount was transferred does not belong to the applicant. The said account belongs to his wife and the registered mobile number linked with the account belongs to his mother-in-law. The present applicant merely assisted in opening the said account and has no direct connection with the alleged crime. It is pertinent to mention that the person namely Akash Verma, who allegedly contacted the complainant, is the main accused. However, during the course of investigation, the police have instead arrayed the husband of the woman in whose bank account the alleged defrauded amount was transferred as an accused in the case. Thus, the person who allegedly communicated with the complainant and induced him to share his banking details has not been made an accused, and the present applicant has been implicated only on the basis that the amount was transferred into the bank account linked to his wife. There is no material available on record to show that the present applicant made any phone call, sent any link, communicated with the complainant, or participated in the alleged fraud in any manner whatsoever. Hence, the essential ingredients of cheating or criminal conspiracy are not made out against the applicant. He also submits that the FIR and the complaint clearly mention that the interaction took place with Akash Verma through specific mobile numbers and WhatsApp communications. There is no direct evidence connecting those mobile numbers or electronic devices with the present applicant. The alleged account had been handed over to one Chamdani Khan for certain work, however, the applicant had no 4 knowledge regarding the purpose for which the said account was being used. Moreover, no incriminating material has been seized from the possession of the applicant. It is quite possible that the bank account into which the amount was transferred may have been used or misused by some other person without the knowledge or involvement of the present applicant. He submits that the present applicant has no criminal antecedents and he is in jail since 26.11.2025, conclusion of the trial may take some time, therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicant. 4. Learned State Counsel opposed the bail application and submitted that, in compliance with this Court's order dated 28.04.2026, the Investigating Officer filed a personal affidavit stating that, on the basis of information received from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, Federal Bank Account No. 16230100067243 was found to be in the name of Mesahnara Bibi Laskar, wife of the present applicant, and was linked to Mobile No. 7602285608, registered in the name of Sheikh Majida Bibi, the applicant's mother-in-law. Investigation revealed that an amount of Rs. 4,90,000/- fraudulently transferred from the complainant's account on 10.09.2024 was credited to the said account. Accordingly, Crime No. 496/2024 was registered and the matter was forwarded to Range Cyber Police Station, Raipur for investigation. During investigation, the applicant disclosed in his memorandum statement that he had opened the said account in the name of his wife and had linked his mother-in- law's mobile number thereto. He further admitted that in August 2024, he had handed over the account for use in online transactions to one Chamdani Khan of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, and received Rs. 10,000/- as commission from the fraudulent proceeds, which he spent on his daily expenses. Investigation further revealed that four cyber fraud 5 complaints from different States were linked to the said account. Considering the serious economic nature of the offence, the applicant's alleged role in facilitating cyber fraud, and the possibility of repeated criminal conduct, he submitted that the applicant is not entitled to the grant of bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly the material collected during investigation indicating that the bank account used for receiving the alleged fraudulent amount was opened in the name of the applicant's wife and linked with the mobile number of his mother-in- law, coupled with the applicant's memorandum statement admitting that he had facilitated the operation of the said account and received commission from the proceeds of cyber fraud, this Court finds prima facie material demonstrating his involvement in the alleged offence. Further, the investigation has revealed multiple cyber fraud complaints from different States linked to the said account. Having regard to the serious economic nature of the offence, the magnitude of the alleged fraudulent transactions, and the prima facie material available against the applicant, this Court is not inclined to extend the benefit of bail. 7. Accordingly, the bail application of the applicant - Abdulla Laskar, involved in Crime No. 496/2024 registered at Police Station Civil Line, District – Raipur (C.G.), for the offence punishable under Sections 318(4) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, is rejected. 8. However, this Court hopes and trusts that the trial Court shall make an earnest endeavour to conclude the trial as expeditiously as possible 6 within a period of six months from the receipt of a certified copy of this order in accordance with law, if there is no legal impediment. 9. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance forthwith. - Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Abhishek