Ulhas Ghanshyam Dhabarde v. State Of Maharashtra Thr Nagpur City Cyber Ps , Nagpur
2026:BHC-NAG:5556 1 57 aba171.26.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
: NAGPUR BENCH : NAGPUR.
CRIMINAL APPLICATION [ABA] NO. 171 OF 2026 ULHAS GHANSHYA DHABARDE
VERSUS
STATE OF MAH., THRU. NAGPUR CITY CYBER POLICE STATION, NAGPUR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Court's or Judge's Order appearances, Court's Orders or directions and Registrar's order ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Apurv De with Ms. Vaishnavi Ramidhani, Advocates for the applicant.
Mrs. S. V. Kolhe, A.P.P. for the non-applicant/State. CORAM : M. W. CHANDWANI, J.
DATE : APRIL 08, 2026.
1.
Heard Mr. Apurv De, learned counsel appearing for the applicant and Mrs. S.V. Kolhe, learned APP appearing for the State. Perused the record.
2.
The applicant is appending arrest in connection with Crime No. 124/2025 registered with Nagpur City Cyber Police Station for the offences punishable under Sections 318(2), 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(1), 340(2), 61(2)(b) and 204 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
3.
It appears that complainant/victim Prakash Kothekar, who is a retired employee of Ordnance Factory, Ambazari, Nagpur, received a phone call from an unknown person saying that some obscene material has been spread from his mobile and threatened him and his family members that they are under digital arrest. He then asked the complainant to have a word with Mr.
2 57 aba171.26.odt Manojkumar Sharma of Data Protection Board of India. The said offender under the threat of digital arrest on voice call as well as WhatsApp video call, directed the victim to transfer some money to various bank accounts. The said persons threatened that the complainant will be implicated in a case of money laundering and terror funding. Falling pray to the threat of arrest, the victim transferred a total sum of Rs.1,40,00,000/- (Rupees One Crore Forty lakhs only) to four different accounts. When the complainant realized that this was a fraud and he has been cheated, he filed a complaint with Nagpur City Cyber Police Station. Therefore, the aforesaid offences came to be registered against unknown person.
4.
During investigation, it was revealed that the bank account of the present applicant was used for transferring the siphoned amount. The complainant had credited Rs.11 lakhs in the bank account of the applicant. It was further revealed that various other transactions of credit were made in the account of the applicant and those offenders also cheated the other persons by impersonation. It appears from the investigation that after the amount was credited by other persons, that amount was again transferred to various accounts, which are more than 150 accounts in total.
5.
The submission of the learned counsel for the applicant is that the applicant is also a victim of the fraud at the hands of the offenders. According to him, some persons named Sameer, Arjun and Avinash Sahare
3 57 aba171.26.odt approached him on the pretext of offering best deals in his business of Spirulina powder, a superfood and offered handsome profit. They collected the bank account number and SIM card of the applicant and promised that his account will be used for business related fund transfers. When the applicant came to know that his bank account was being used for business transactions of some other firm and he was cheated by those persons, he also filed a complaint with Beltarodi Police Station on 22.12.2025. The learned counsel took me through the said complaint. It appears that the complaint filed by the applicant was prior to lodging of the FIR by the present complainant. Thereafter, on 12.02.2026 the applicant gave his statement to the police informing the details of the persons who approached the applicant for taking his account details and SIM card.
6.
Considering the material placed on record by the applicant as well as the fact that the applicant himself had approached the concerned police station in the matter before the FIR was filed, the possibility of the applicant also being a victim cannot be ruled out at this stage. The fact that the applicant has approached the concerned police station and has given details of the persons who approached him for taking account details and the SIM card shows that the applicant has cooperated in the investigation. Obviously, the applicant might not be aware about the fact that investigation of the crime lies with the Nagpur City Cyber Police Station. The applicant
4 57 aba171.26.odt undertakes to cooperate with the Cyber Police Station as well.
7.
Considering the submissions and the fact that the applicant is a permanent resident of Nagpur and there is no chance of him fleeing away from justice, a case is made out for grant of the extraordinary relief of anticipatory bail in favour of the applicant.
8.
Accordingly, the Criminal Application is allowed. 9.
In the event of arrest of applicant - Ulhas Ghanshyam Dhabarde in connection with Crime No. 124/2025 registered with Nagpur City Cyber Police Station for the offences punishable under Sections 318(2), 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(1), 340(2), 61(2)(b) and 204 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, he be released on bail on furnishing a PR bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one solvent surety in the like amount.
10.
The applicant shall attend Nagpur City Cyber Police Station on every Friday and Tuesday between 10.00 am to 12.00 noon for three weeks and cooperate in the investigation.
11.
The applicant shall not indulge in pressurizing the prosecution witness and tampering with the prosecution evidence in any manner.
12.
The application stands disposed of.
( M.W.Chandwani, J. ) Diwale Signed by: DIWALE Designation: PS To Honourable Judge Date: 08/04/2026 20:11:18