Mr. Vaibhav Pal, v. The State Of Telangana

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA

AT HYDERABAD THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE SUDDALA CHALAPATHI RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.8096 OF 2026 DATE OF ORDER:-04.06.2026 BETWEEN :

Mr.Vaibhav Pal & another

...Petitioners/Accused Nos.3 & 4

AND The State of Telangana ... Respondent/Complainant O R D E R :

1.

This Criminal Petition is filed under Sections 480 & 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short, "BNSS"), seeking to release the petitioners, who are arrayed as accused Nos.3 & 4, in Crime No.152 of 2026, on the file of Cyber Crime Police Station, Hyderabad, on bail. The offences alleged against the petitioners are under Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended in 2008, and Sections 111(2)(b), 318(4), 319(2), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

2.

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner as well as learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent -State.

3.

The brief facts of the case are that the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 are the bank officials and upon the instructions of the superior officer, they had collected the KYC and updated in the online platform provided by the concerned bank and the same was accepted by the said online platform and following the guidelines, the petitioners herein had opened the account and then the customers, who are cited as accused Nos.1 & 2, might have misused the same. Basing on the said complaint, the respondent -Police authorities have registered a case against the accused Nos.1 to 4. 4.

The case of the prosecution is that the accused persons induced LW1/Dr.A.Sucharitha into a fraudulent investment scheme which is an advertisement containing video of Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman explaining an investment scheme which invests on shares bought in low price and selling at higher price for huge profits. By way of these fraudulent misrepresentations, LW1 was cheated to a tune of Rs.68,39,973/-.

5.

Learned counsel for the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 submitted that the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 have no role with the alleged crime nor they are in contact with any of the fraudsters and only following the SOP guided by the Reserve Bank of India, the petitioners herein have opened the account, which accused Nos.1 & 2 have misused the same. It is further contended by the learned

counsel for the petitioners that the said allegation is not proper and the petitioners are Bank officials who do not have any connivance and they are falsely implicated in the said crime and that they would abide by any conditions that may be imposed by this Court and shall cooperate with the Police Authorities in the event of they being enlarged on bail.

6.

Per contra, learned Additional Public Prosecutor opposed to grant bail to the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4. 7.

Evidently, the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 are bank officials. Though the allegation of updating KYC has been done by them, nothing concrete has been placed by the prosecution that they were involved in the financial fraud in connivance with accused Nos.1 & 2 and that the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 are the Bank officials and have been arrested on 16.04.2026 and are in judicial custody since then. Hence, it is considered opinion of this Court that it is a fit case to enlarge the petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 on bail by imposing certain conditions.

8.

In view of the above stated facts and circumstances of the case, the Criminal Petition is allowed subject to the following conditions:- (i) The petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 shall be enlarged on bail subject to executing a personal bond for Rs.50,000/-

each (Rupees Fifty thousand only) with two local sureties for like-sum each to the satisfaction of IX Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate , Nampally, Hyderabad.

(ii) The petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 shall appear before the respondent-Police Authorities on every Sunday from 10.00 A.M. to 2.00P.M. for a period of 12 weeks from enlargement from the judicial custody and shall cooperate with the Investigating Agency as and when they are directed to be present for investigation.

(iii) The petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 shall not hamper with the investigation and shall not in any way meddle with any of the witnesses and shall cooperate at all times whenever called by the Police for investigation.

(iv) The petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 shall deposit their passport before the respondent-Police Authorities as soon as they are enlarged on bail.

(v) The petitioners/accused Nos.3 & 4 shall abide by the conditions stipulated under Section 480(3) of the BNSS. (vi) In the event of breach of any of the above conditions, the prosecution is entitled to file appropriate application for cancellation of bail granted to the petitioners.

9.

Miscellaneous applications, pending if any, shall stand closed. ________________________________________ JUSTICE SUDDALA CHALAPATHI RAO Date:04.06.2026 ysk

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE SUDDALA CHALAPATHI RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.8096 of 2026 Dt.04.06.2026 ysk