Punjab and Haryana High Court denies bail in Rs 1.15 cr cyber fraud case, calls cybercrime a ‘growing menace’

Justice Manisha Batra stated that a “stringent approach” is required to deter cybercrime offenders with the rise in cybercrimes. (Image is enhanced using AI)

It was placed on record that the complainant was lured by Haroon to earn profits on shares and was involved in the trading of shares through the Zerodha App, resulting in a loss of Rs 1.15 crore.

The high court noted that Rs 7.55 lakh belonging to the complainant was found deposited in a bank account in the name of the petitioner, leading to his arrest in May 2025.

During interrogation, the petitioner disclosed that he was joined by co-accused Deepak Bhatt, who was running the business of committing online fraud by offering handsome money by way of commission.

The high court, in its January 23 order, denied bail to the petitioner staing that the bail plea does not deserve to be allowed at this stage.

Findings

• The petitioner, along with other accused, opened a bank account in the name of this firm to transfer money withdrawn from the bank account of the complainant by the other cyber fraudsters who are yet to be arrested and joined into investigation.
• The allegations against the petitioner are serious in nature.
• There are 28 other complaints that are found to be pending against the petitioner in the cyber portal.
• Crimes of this nature are on the rise and have become a growing menace in today’s digital age.
• A stringent approach for deterring cyber crime offender is required.

‘Bailed in other cases’

• The accused’s counsel, advocate Sonal Singh Godara, argued that his client has been falsely implicated in the case and has been in custody for a long time.
• It was also mentioned that the accused is on bail in the other cases registered against him.
• Godara also mentioned that the present case should be tried by a magistrate and requsedted for the grant of bail for his client.

‘Habitual offender’

• The state’s counsel, deputy attorney general Himani Arora, on the contrary, argued that Harun is a “habitual offender” involved in other cases and was an active participant in the present case.
• Arora further submitted that there are serious allegations against Haroon, who, along with other accused, has caused a loss of around Rs 1.15 crore to the complainant by facilitating cyber crime.
• There are 28 other complaints against the petitioner in the cyber portal qua, the same bank account which was opened by him and was used in the present case.

• It was also pointed out that there are chances that the petitioner might tamper with evidence, influencing material witnesses, committing similar offences or absconding, if the extended benefit of bail.