Amit Manpuria v. The State Rep By The Inspector Of Police

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 23-09-2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE K. RAJASEKAR CRL OP NO.26019 of 2025 Amit Manpuria ... Petitioner/ Accused Vs The State rep. by, The Inspector of Police, Cyber Crime Investigation, Cyber Crime Wing, HQ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

(Crime No.79 of 2024) ... Respondent PRAYER : Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to grant bail to the petitioner/accused in Crime No.79 of 2024 on the file of the respondent police. For Petitioner(s) :

Mr. Arvind Subramaniyam (For M/s. Adithya Varadarajan) For Respondent(s) :

Mr. A. Gopinath Government Advocate (Crl. Side) ******* 1/6

ORDER

The petitioner, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 08.08.2025, for the offences punishable under Sections 61(2), 318(4) and 319(2) of BNS and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2008 in Crime No.79 of 2024, registered on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail.

2.

The case of the prosecution is that, the petitioner joined hands with other accused, who have contacted the defacto complainant and his wife through whatsapp video call and pretended that they are Maharastra Police officials and threatened the defacto complainant and his wife that, the defacto complainant was involved in illegal money transactions and a warrant is issued against him; that thereby, digitally arrested them and demanded to transfer money to six different accounts; and that thereafter, the defacto complainant has sent a total sum of Rs.1,72,00,000/- to the accounts as stated by the accused in between 07.10.2024 to 21.10.2024. After knowing that they were cheated, the defacto complainant lodged a complaint before the respondent police and a case in Crime No.79 of 2024 was registered and upon investigation, it reveals that the petitioner's bank 2/6

account was also used for the commission of the aforesaid offence and accordingly, the respondent police traced the petitioner and arrested him. 3.

The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is hailing from West Bengal and pursuant to the registration of the FIR, the respondent had served a notice, directing the petitioner to appear before the Lake Town Police Station, Kolkata; that thereafter, the petitioner was produced before the Learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bidhannagar, West Bengal on 02.08.2025 and subsequently, got interim bail with condition to surrender before the learned XI Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, Chennai on 08.08.2025. He further submitted that on compliance with the interim bail order, the petitioner appeared before the concerned Court and subsequently, he was remanded to judicial custody on the same day.

He further submitted that the petitioner had no role in either the criminal act of alleged digital arrest of the defacto complainant or deal with the alleged money that was paid by the defacto complainant. He further submitted that the petitioner's father was passed away on 19.09.2025 and the petitioner is ready to abide by any conditions that may be imposed by this Court and sought for bail to the petitioner.

4.

The learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side) appearing for the respondent while opposing the bail to the petitioner, reiterated the prosecution case and states that seven other complaints were registered against the petitioner's company account (Manpuriya Agro Product Private Limited) in the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for illegal transaction for a sum of Rs.2,62,99,000/- and subsequently, five cases were registered against the petitioner across India in connection with the said NCRP complaints for the same modus operandi. He also submitted that various correspondence regarding this case were issued to various persons, including the Internet Service Provider and the banks. He also submitted that the investigation is not yet completed and the same is only at preliminary stage, the other co-accused are still eluding the arrest and so far no amount has been recovered.

5.

Considering the facts of this case, gravity of offence, allegations against the petitioner is serious in nature, since huge amount of money involved in this case, not even a single rupee has been recovered till date and the respondent police not able to track the money transferred to the account of the petitioner and other accused and the investigation is pending, this Court is not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner. 4/6

6.

Accordingly, this criminal original petition stands dismissed. 23.09.2025 stn To

1. The Inspector of Police, Cyber Crime Investigation, Cyber Crime Wing, HQ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

(Crime No.79 of 2024)

2. The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras.

K. RAJASEKAR, J.

stn 5/6

Crl.O.P. No.26019 of 2025 23.09.2025 6/6