3 min readGurgaonAug 12, 2026 09:33 AM IST
First published on: Aug 12, 2026 at 09:32 AM IST
Days after a contractual cyber expert — arrested amid a controversy over a video allegedly linked to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann — was granted relief, a Gurgaon court Monday granted bail to another accused in the case. The court noted there was lack of evidence hinting at organised crime.
Additional Sessions Judge Sudeep Goel granted the regular bail to Arjun alias Arun. He was arrested on June 23 following allegations of being part of an organised crime syndicate that allegedly pressured a digital forensics worker to fabricate a report on the video.
While explaining the application of Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that pertains to organised crime, the court noted that there must be legally admissible prima facie evidence to constitute any continuing unlawful activity.
The judge observed that without such evidence “the State cannot make any suspect undergo custodial interrogation to hunt for such evidence against the suspect or others”. The order detailed that evidence must first be gathered to establish a prima facie case under BNS Section 111.
The judge ruled that without legally admissible accusations, the state cannot use a suspect as “custodial bait by any hook, line, and sinker” to bring the case under the organised crime provision. During the proceedings, the investigating agency conceded that the accused had clean criminal antecedents with no other pending FIRs, and that the forensic report on the seized electronic equipment was still awaited.
Ankit Bhardwaj, a contractual cyber expert with the National Investigation Agency, was earlier granted bail by the same court after the judge noted that organised crime charges could not be invoked without a forensic laboratory report.
Granting relief to Arun on the basis of parity, the court noted that the investigating agency failed to distinguish his case from that of co-accused Ankit. The judge stated in the order, “Moreover the co-accused Ankit has been granted the concession of bail vide order dated 30.07.2026. The present accused is also entitled to bail on the ground of parity.”
The court granted Arjun bail on the condition of furnishing bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh with one surety in the like amount. Under the bail terms, the accused must surrender his passport, appear before the trial court during hearings, and provide working mobile numbers to the investigating officer and must not change them without prior intimation.
Further, the accused was directed not to directly or indirectly make any threat, inducement, or promise to prosecution witnesses.
Granting relief to Arun on the basis of parity, the court noted that the investigating agency failed to distinguish his case from that of co-accused Ankit. 
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