1 CGHC010192902026 2026:CGHC:28948 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 4502 of 2026 Daitari Deep S/o Shri Damjee Deep Aged About 33 Years R/o Chota Ashok Nagar, In Front Of Chain Kirana Store, Ram Krishna Paramhans Ward No. 02 Raipur Chhattisgarh ... Applicant(s) versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through S.H.O. P.S. Azad Chowk, District Raipur Chhattisgarh ... Non-Applicant(s) For Applicant : Mr. Abhishek Tandon, Advocate. For Non-Applicant/State : Mr. S.S. Baghel, Government Advocate. Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 10.07.2026 1 The applicant has preferred this First Bail Application under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail, as he has been arrested in connection with Crime No.283/2025, registered at Police Station – Azad Chowk, Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 and 3(5) of the BNS, 2023. 2 Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs has established the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for reporting cyber frauds committed across the KUNAL DEWANGAN Digitally signed by KUNAL DEWANGAN 2 country. During scrutiny of the information received through the said portal, it came to the notice of the Cyber Range, Raipur that 17 bank accounts opened in the South Indian Bank, Ramsagarpara Branch, Raipur were allegedly being used for receiving proceeds of cyber fraud. On the basis of the information received from the Police Headquarters, Raipur, Crime No. 283/2025 was registered against the account holders for the offences punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 and 3(5) of the BNS, and investigation was commenced. During the course of investigation, it was found that a sum of ₹2,11,10,263/- obtained through cyber fraud had been credited into the bank account of co-accused Santosh Kumar bearing Account No. 0433053000007320 maintained with South Indian Bank. It is further alleged that, on the basis of the memorandum statement of co-accused Karan Singh, the involvement of the present applicant surfaced, whereupon he was arrested. The investigation further revealed that the present applicant, in connivance with the other co-accused persons, had facilitated the opening and use of as many as 17 bank accounts for receiving the proceeds of cyber fraud. It is also alleged that the aforesaid bank account of co-accused Santosh Kumar had been sold to him by the present applicant and the said account was used for routing cyber fraud proceeds amounting to ₹2,11,10,263/-. It is further alleged that co-accused Karan Singh had also sold his bank account to the present applicant, into which an amount of 46,61,115/- obtained through cyber fraud was credited. After completion of investigation, a supplementary charge-sheet has 3 been filed against the present applicant before the competent Court. 3 Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the present applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the instant case. He submits that the allegations levelled against the applicant are vague and omnibus in nature and do not prima facie disclose the commission of the offences alleged against him. He further submits that the applicant has been implicated solely on the basis of the memorandum statement of co-accused Karan Singh, which by itself has no substantive evidentiary value in law. It is also submitted that during the course of investigation, no mule bank account has been found or recovered in the name of the present applicant, nor has any documentary evidence been collected to establish his involvement in the alleged cyber fraud. He further submits that even the mobile number linked with the alleged mule account does not belong to the present applicant and the supplementary charge- sheet does not disclose any active role or incriminating material connecting him with the alleged offence. Learned counsel further submits that co-accused persons, namely, Narayan Kosariya and Gopi Verma, have already been enlarged on bail by this Court vide common order dated 16.06.2026 passed in M.Cr.C. No. 4000/2026 and M.Cr.C. No. 3184/2026, and the case of the present applicant stands on a similar footing. He further submits that the supplementary charge-sheet has already been filed and no further custodial interrogation of the applicant is required. It is also submitted that the applicant is in judicial custody since 21.12.2025, Therefore, considering the period of detention, the filing of the 4 supplementary charge-sheet and the parity with the aforesaid co- accused, it is prayed that the applicant be enlarged on regular bail. 4 On the other hand, learned State Counsel appearing for the State opposes the bail application and submits that there is sufficient material available on record to prima facie establish the involvement of the present applicant in the alleged offence. He further submits that during the course of investigation, it was revealed that as many as 17 bank accounts were opened and utilized for receiving the proceeds of cyber fraud and the complicity of the present applicant surfaced during investigation. It is further submitted that the supplementary charge-sheet has already been filed against the applicant. He also submits that although co-accused Narayan Kosariya and Gopi Verma have been granted bail by this Court but the case of the present applicant stands on a different footing, as his role is distinct and supported by the material collected during investigation. Considering the nature and gravity of the offence involving large-scale cyber fraud and the specific role attributed to the applicant, he prays for rejection of the bail application. 5 I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the documents available on record. 6 In compliance of the Court's order dated 16.06.2026, the concerned Investigating Officer has filed his personal affidavit disclosing the evidence collected during the course of investigation against the present applicant. The Investigating Officer has stated that, during investigation, it was revealed that as many as 17 bank accounts opened in South Indian Bank, Raipur were being used as mule 5 accounts for receiving the proceeds of cyber fraud, pursuant to information received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. It is further disclosed that one such mule account bearing No. 0433053000007409, opened in the name of co-accused Karan Singh, was found to have received fraudulent transactions amounting to 46,61,115/- within a short span of time and that three cyber fraud complaints from different States were linked with the said account. The affidavit further reveals that, on the basis of the memorandum statement of co-accused Karan Singh, it surfaced that he had sold the said bank account, ATM card, bank kit and other related documents to the present applicant for monetary consideration. During interrogation, the present applicant also allegedly admitted that he had opened his own bank account and sold the same to co-accused Poshan Ojha and Padmini Ojha for consideration and had further induced 4-5 other persons to provide their Aadhaar Cards and PAN Cards for opening bank accounts, for which he received commission. It is further disclosed that the investigation has revealed that the applicant acted as an intermediary in arranging and supplying bank accounts to the members of the cyber fraud syndicate and that the defrauded money was routed through such accounts. According to the affidavit, the statements of the accused persons, the seizure of the co-accused's bank passbook from the applicant, the bank records and verified online transaction details prima facie establish the active involvement of the applicant in the organized cyber fraud. Although the applicant has no previous criminal antecedent, the 6 Investigating Officer has specifically opined that the applicant was a beneficiary and an active participant in the organized cyber fraud racket and that his release on bail is likely to adversely affect the trial and may facilitate repetition of similar offences. 7 On a pointed query being made by this Court with regard to the present status of the trial, learned counsel for the applicant fairly submits that no order-sheets of the trial Court have been annexed along with the present bail application to indicate the present stage of the trial. In absence of any material regarding the progress of the trial, this Court is unable to examine the contention of the applicant that the conclusion of the trial is likely to take considerable time. 8 Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, nature and gravity of the allegations levelled against the present applicant, material collected during the course of investigation and the supplementary charge-sheet filed before the competent Court and more particularly, the affidavit filed by the Investigating Officer pursuant to the order of this Court, this Court is of the considered view that no case for grant of bail is made out. The material available on record prima facie indicates that the present applicant was not a mere account holder but had an active role in facilitating the commission of the alleged cyber fraud by arranging and supplying bank accounts to the members of the organized syndicate, apart from allegedly acting as an intermediary for opening and selling such accounts to other accused persons for monetary consideration. The Investigating Officer has specifically disclosed that huge amounts of defrauded money were routed 7 through the mule accounts connected with the applicant, including transactions exceeding ₹46,61,115/- in one such account within a short span of time and that the applicant's involvement is supported by the memorandum statements of the co-accused, his own memorandum statement, seizure of incriminating documents, bank records and verified online transaction details. The allegations disclose involvement in an organized cyber fraud racket affecting innocent victims from different States, involving substantial financial loss, which cannot be viewed lightly. 9 So far as the contention of the learned counsel for the applicant regarding parity with co-accused Narayan Kosariya and Gopi Verma is concerned, this Court finds that the case of the present applicant stands on a different footing. The specific role attributed to the present applicant, as emerging from the investigation and the affidavit of the Investigating Officer, is qualitatively different and distinguishes his case from that of the aforesaid co-accused who have been granted bail by this Court. Therefore, the principle of parity is not attracted in the facts of the present case. In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the present applicant on bail. 10 Accordingly, the bail application of the applicant – Daitari Deep, involved in Crime No.283/2025, registered at Police Station – Azad Chowk Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111, 3(5) of BNS, 2023, is rejected. 11 Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to 8 proceed and conclude the trial expeditiously. 12 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 Kunal