Laxmikant Pradhan v. State Govt. Of NCT Of Delhi
$~3 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + BAIL APPLN. 1758/2025 LAXMIKANT PRADHAN .....Petitioner Through:
Ms. Deepika Khinder, Advocate (through V.C.).
versus STATE GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through:
Mr. Sunil Kumar Gautam, APP for the State with Insp. Kuldeep Kumar.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ JAIN
O R D E R
% 09.02.2026 1.
Applicant seeks anticipatory bail in a case arising out of FIR No. 43/2024 dated 10.02.2024, registered at Police Station Special Cell, Delhi, for commission of offences under Section 420 IPC and Sections 66/66D/70(3) of Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) read with Section 43B of IT Act. 2.
The FIR in question was registered on the basis of complaint received from Mr. P.K. Singh, Deputy Director General (Security Assurance), who reported sale of about 1.6 TB of data containing Telecom Subscriber Data details of 750 million subscribers, on darknet. 3.
Such information resulted in registration of abovesaid FIR, and during course of the investigation, the Investigating Agency was able to arrest three accused persons, and on the basis of the disclosure of one such accused-Mr. Sourav Kumar Dehuri, the complicity of the applicant herein i.e. Laxmikant Pradhan came to fore.
BAIL APPLN. 1758/2025 1 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
4.
Initially, applicant had filed an application seeking anticipatory bail before the learned Court of Sessions and was granted interim relief as would be apparent from order dated 20.09.2024 but thereafter, on 03.12.2024, his application was dismissed and the order of interim relief was also vacated. 5.
It was in the abovesaid backdrop that the present anticipatory bail application was moved before this Court.
6.
When the present matter was taken up by the predecessor Bench on 27.08.2025, it was pointed out that all other co-accused were on bail and the accused had been, merely, apprehended on the basis of the disclosure statement made by one such co-accused, therefore, this Court directed that no coercive steps be taken against him subject to the applicant joining further investigation and submitting all the devices which he possessed. 7.
Such order continues to be in operation.
8.
Learned Addl. P.P., on instructions, submits that applicant did join the investigation and also handed over the devices, which he possessed but such devices were not found containing any data. He supplements that the devices have already been sent to the forensic laboratory for requisite analysis.
9.
I.O. is present in the Court, and submits that the charge-sheet has already been filed with respect to the other co-accused persons. Keeping in mind the overall facts and without making any observation with respect to the merits of the case and about the extent of the involvement and complicity of the applicant, the abovesaid order dated 27.08.2025 is hereby made absolute with the direction that the applicant shall continue to assist the Investigating Agency.
10.
However, as and when he is arrested, the arresting officer shall release BAIL APPLN. 1758/2025 2 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
the applicant on bail on his furnishing personal bond and surety bond in a sum of Rs. 25,000/- each.
11.
The application stands disposed of.
MANOJ JAIN, J FEBRUARY 9, 2026/ss/sa BAIL APPLN. 1758/2025 3 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.