Fake profiles, morphed digital identities, scripted chats: Delhi HC denies bail to Nigerian man accused in matrimonial scam
Paul Atuh was booked for cheating in March 2022 by the Cyber Central District police station in New Delhi following a complaint by a woman who was allegedly cheated of Rs 55,900.
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It also took into account that a co-accused in the case, who was granted bail in 2022, was declared a ‘proclaimed offender’ in January this year, thus making the accused a flight risk as well. (File Photo)The Delhi High Court on July 10 refused to grant bail to a Nigerian national accused in a case of matrimonial fraud, taking into account the “international and organised character of the syndicate” in which he was allegedly involved and the “technical sophistication” of their methods.
Denying bail to Paul Onyeji Atuh, Justice Shalinder Kaur, reasoned that “the allegations against the petitioner are grave, both in terms of the modus operandi employed and the scale of the financial and digital fraud allegedly perpetrated.”
The accused, Atuh, was booked for cheating in March 2022 by the Cyber Central District police station in New Delhi following a complaint by a woman who alleged that she was cheated of Rs 55,900 by an individual who had identified himself as ‘Dr Ankit Verma’, a Canada resident, on the matrimonial website Sangam.com.
According to the complainant, in December 2021, she received a message that “Ankit Verma” had arrived at Delhi Airport from Canada and had been detained by Customs officials for carrying excessive foreign currency, and also received a call from an individual impersonating a Customs official, demanding a penalty of Rs 55,900.
The complainant transferred the amount in two instalments the same day. A second demand was then made for Rs 1.5 lakh for “clearance from the Ministry of Finance,” following which the complainant suspected foul play and lodged a formal complaint.
Atuh, who entered India in 2020 on student visa, was arrested in the case in May 2022 from Greater Noida, the police said. He allegedly admitted to his involvement. The police probe later found that Atuh and two other accused operated using 26 bank accounts, 15 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards, two laptops, and four dongle devices. The police had also seized Rs 1.95 lakh in cash, and approximately Rs 4 lakh was frozen in various bank accounts.
The accused operated across states and three offences were registered in this regard, including in Guntur and Shillong, officers said. The police identified a total of 17 victims, with cumulative losses amounting to Rs 33.73 lakh.
“The nature and scope of the operation, as revealed by the investigation, demonstrates that this was not an isolated or impulsive act of deceit, but a meticulously executed plan involving the use of fake profiles and digital morphing tools… Multiple other victims were also identified on the basis of contact numbers and screenshots recovered from the seized devices, with transactions running into lakhs of rupees,” the judge noted.
Pointing out that this reflects a “pattern of repeat and serial offences”, the court said, “The existence of the said FIRs in different jurisdictions further underscores that the petitioner’s activities have not only been widespread, but also deliberately obscured using digital camouflage and fake documentation…”
“In the present case, given the international and organised character of the syndicate, the technical sophistication of the modus operandi, the presence of multiple victims and multiple FIRs, and the absence of any mitigating circumstance or compelling ground warranting bail, this Court is not inclined to exercise its discretion..,” the court observed.
It also took into account that a co-accused in the case, who was granted bail in 2022, was declared a ‘proclaimed offender’ in January this year, thus making the accused a flight risk as well.
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