Sujit Kumar v. State Of Haryana

CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 -1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH ***** CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 Date of decision : 21.4.2026 Date of uploading : 22.4.2026 Sujit Kumar .............Petitioner

Versus

State of Haryana .......Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUMEET GOEL Present: Mr. Kartik Khicher, Advocate, for Mr. Baljeet Beniwal, Advocate, for the petitioner Mr. Deepak Grewal, DAG, Haryana Mr. Gaurav Gupta, Advocate, for the complainant --- SUMEET GOEL, J. (ORAL) 1.

Present petition has been filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNSS') for grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case FIR No.167 dated 25.6.2025 under Sections 318(4), 61(2), 238 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, registered at Police Station Cyber Crime NIT, Faridabad. 2.

The case set up in the FIR in question (as set out in the present petition by the petitioner) is as follows:- 'Complaint Numbers 31306250041754 dated 19.06.2025 and 31306250041736 dated 19.06.2025, submitted by Sushma Bhatia W/o Shri Abnash Chander Bhatia, resident of 1-J-11, N.I.T., Faridabad, were received at the police station through the portal, upon which the complainant was included in the investigation in relation to the said complainant, who in this connection also separately submitted a written

CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 -2application, the contents of which are as follows: To, the S.H.O., Cyber Crime, N.I.T., Faridabad. Sir, it is respectfully submitted that 1, Sushma Bhatia, wife of Shri Abnash Chander Bhatia, resident of 1-J-11, N.I.T., Faridabad, am residing at the said address. On dated 16 June 2025, I received a phone call on my mobile number 9953953924 from mobile number 8490808766, in which it was stated that "I am speaking as a C.I.D. Inspector from the Mumbai Crime Branch and you have been arrested."

Thereafter, on the same day, a video call was received from their other number 8530079347, in which a police officer was speaking, who stated that you are an accused in the Naresh Goyal Jet Airways Money Laundering Case and you have been placed under house arrest/digital arrest, and the orders of your digital arrest will be sent, and that in this case you will have to pay Rs. 6 crore 80 lakh, and that your case proceedings will be conducted only through WhatsApp video call, in which my senior officer and the Honorable Judge will speak to you, and that regarding this matter you shall neither inform anyone nor go outside the house, due to which I and my husband became very frightened and neither went outside the house nor informed anyone about this.

They stated that if you want to avoid this and want settlement of the case, then you will have to pay Rs.50 lakh, due to which I became scared, after which they told me to go to my bank on the next day, ie., 17 June 2025, and due to fear, on the next day I went to my Bank of Maharashtra and got all the F.D.Rs broken from my joint account number 20020505259, the total amount of which was approximately Rs. 27 lakh 50 thousand, and got the same transferred through RTGS to the account informed by them, and from my other bank account, number Punjab National Bank account 0167000101315975, I got my remaining FDRs broken and on the same day deposited Rs. 2,70,000.

00 (Rupees Two Lakh Seventy Thousand only) into the account informed by them, and as per their instructions, I and my husband returned home and remained under house arrest/digital arrest. In the same manner, on the 18th date (18.06.25), they demanded more money from me, which I did not have, and again I was threatened through video call. In the same manner, on 19 June, I gathered some courage and at about 8:00 A.M., on the pretext of bathing, quietly left the house and went to Police Station N.I.T.-1 Kotwali and lodged a complaint on 1930, where I came to know that cyber fraud had been committed against me in the name of house arrest/digital arrest.

CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 -3station and submitted my written application, and along with the application 1 am submitting the statements of both my bank accounts and the related documents; kindly arrest the accused persons and get my money recovered. I shall be very grateful. Sd/-Mrs. Sushma Bhati, Mobile No. 9953953924, Date 29.06.2025.'

3.

Learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that the petitioner is in custody since 13.2.2026. Learned counsel has further argued that the petitioner has been falsely implicated into the FIR in question. Learned counsel has further argued that the prime basis of the police implicating the petitioner into the FIR in question is disclosure statement, which is not tenable in law. Learned counsel has further submitted that the memorandum of understanding has also been entered into between the petitioner and FIR-complainant. Thus, regular bail is prayed for. 4.

Learned State counsel has filed status report by way of affidavit of Aman Yadav, HPS, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime, Faridabad, in Court today. The same be kept on record. Raising submissions in tandem with the said status report, learned State counsel has opposed the present petition by arguing that the allegations raised are serious in nature and thus the petitioner does not deserve the concession of the regular bail.

4.1 Learned counsel for the complainant has ratified the matter of having compromised between the parties.

5.

I have heard counsel for the parties and have gone through the available records of the case.

6.

The petitioner was arrested on 13.2.2026 wherein after investigation was carried out and challan was prepared on 220.3.2026 and

CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 -4was subsequently filed. Total 53 prosecution witnesses have been cited, but none has been examined till date. The rival contention raised at Bar give rise to debatable issues which shall essentially be ratiocinated upon during the course of trial. This Court does not deem it appropriate to delve deep into these rival contentions, at this stage, lest it may prejudice the trial. Nothing tangible has been brought forward to indicate the likelihood of the petitioner absconding from the process of justice or interfering with the prosecution evidence.

Suffice to say, further detention of the petitioner as an undertrial is not warranted in the facts and circumstances of the case. 7.

In view of above, the present petition is allowed. Petitioner is ordered to be released on regular bail on his furnishing bail/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the Ld. concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate. However, in addition to conditions that may be imposed by the concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate, the petitioner shall remain bound by the following conditions:- (i) The petitioner shall not mis-use the liberty granted. (ii) The petitioner shall not tamper with any evidence, oral or documentary, during the trial.

(iii) The petitioner shall not absent himself on any date before the trial.

(iv) The petitioner shall not commit any offence while on bail. (v) The petitioner shall deposit his passport, if any, with the trial Court.

(vi) The petitioner shall give his cell-phone number to the Investigating Officer/SHO of concerned Police Station and shall not change his cell-phone number without prior permission of the trial Court/Illaqa Magistrate.

(vii) The petitioner shall not in any manner try to delay the trial. 8.

In case of breach of any of the aforesaid conditions and those

CRM-M No.17935 of 2026 -5which may be imposed by concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate as directed hereinabove or upon showing any other sufficient cause, the State/complainant shall be at liberty to move cancellation of bail of the petitioner.

9.

Ordered accordingly.

10.

Nothing said hereinabove shall be construed as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case.

(SUMEET GOEL) JUDGE 21.4.2026 Ashwanii Whether speaking/reasoned:

Yes/No Whether reportable:

Yes/No