CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 __________ Page1 of 5 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 10-07-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE C.KUMARAPPAN CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 N.Manavalan S/o Nagaraj, No.310, West Street, Palarpatti, Kulaiyanur, Bodinayakanur, Theni. ..Petitioner(s) Vs The State Rep By, The Inspector of Police State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre, Cyber Crime Wing, Ashok Nagar, Chennai. Crime No.57 of 2026 ..Respondent(s) Prayer : Criminal Original Petition filed under section 483 of BNSS, 2023 to enlarge the petitioner on bail in Crime No.57 of 2026 on the file of Inspector of Police, State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre, Cyber Crime Wing, Ashok Nagar, Chennai. For Petitioner(s): Mr.P.Britto For Respondent(s): Mr.Yogaraja Sekar Counsel for Government of Tamil Nadu (Criminal Side) ORDER The petitioner, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 24.06.2026 for the alleged offences under Sections 140(4), 143(1)(d), 143(2), https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 __________ Page2 of 5 316(2) and 318(2) of BNS, 2023, Sections 10 and 24 of the Emigration Act 1983 and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended in 2008), in Crime No.57 of 2026 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail. 2. The allegation against the petitioner is that is a case of human trafficking. It is alleged that the petitioner, along with other accused, promised to arrange employment for the defacto complainant in Cambodia received a sum of Rs.50,000/- from him, and sent him to Cambodia. Upon reaching Cambodia, the defacto complainant was allegedly compelled to engage in online scam activities. Realising that he had been cheated by the accused, the defacto complainant, with the assistance of the officials of the Indian Embassy returned to India. Hence, the complaint. 3. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted submitted that the petitioner was not originally arrayed as an accused and that he was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 24.06.2026. He further submitted that one of the co-accused has already been released on bail. Hence, he prays for grant of bail to the Petitioner. 4. The learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) strongly opposed the bail application and submitted that, there are five accused in this case and the petitioner is arrayed as A4. According to the investigation, the petitioner is a https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 __________ Page3 of 5 close associate Madhan/A1, who is running a hotel business in Myanmar under the name “Jallikattu Restaurant”. He further submitted that A1 and the petitioner were sharing the profits of the illegal acitivies. The learned Government Advocate also submitted that the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982 have been invoked against A1. Hence, he opposed the grant of bail to the Petitioner. 5. I have given my anxious consideration to either side submissions and perused the materials available on record. 6. From the submissions made by the learned Government Advocate, it is seen that the petitioner is alleged to be a close associate of the mastermind behind the human trafficking racket, in which each Indian Citizen was allegedly sold for 8,500 US dollars. According to the prosecution, the main accused, Madhan/A1 is running the “Jallikattu Restaurant” in Myanmar and the petitioner is one of its partners. Considering the serious nature of the allegations, the gravity of the offences and the specific role attributed to the petitioner, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail. Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition is dismissed. 10-07-2026 DRL https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 __________ Page4 of 5 To 1.The Inspector of Police State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre, Cyber Crime Wing, Ashok Nagar, Chennai. 2.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 __________ Page5 of 5 C.KUMARAPPAN, J. DRL CRL OP No. 18014 of 2026 10-07-2026 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis