A fast-track court in Noida has rejected the bail application of a man accused of receiving Rs 20 lakh in his bank account as part of a cyber fraud scheme. The accused, Nagendra Kumar, claimed he was unaware of the money's origin and argued he was falsely implicated. However, the court deemed the charges serious and denied relief.
Court's Observations
Additional Sessions Judge Satyendra Singh noted that Kumar is the prime accused in the case, where a woman was cheated and intimidated by someone impersonating personnel from Mumbai's anti-narcotics cell. The court stated, "The applicant is the main accused in the case, and Rs 20 lakh is alleged to have been received in his account. The case relates to cybercrime. The offence is of a serious nature. Therefore, considering the gravity of the offence and all the facts and circumstances, the grounds for bail are insufficient, and the bail application is liable to be dismissed."
Case Details
Kumar faces charges under sections 308(2) (extortion), 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 319(2) (impersonation to cheat) of the BNS, based on an FIR registered at Noida cybercrime police station in August 2024. The complainant, Manoj Kumar Dorai of Sector 82, reported that his wife, an employee of a multinational company in Chennai, received a call on August 21, 2024. The caller, posing as a Mumbai anti-narcotics cell officer, claimed they had intercepted a parcel she was sending to Shaik Rashid in Iran via FedEx. The parcel allegedly contained 5.5 kg of MDMA, two expired Indian passports, and three hard disks. The caller also said an FIR was filed against her by the Narcotics Bureau, Mumbai.
The caller threatened Dorai's wife with severe consequences and demanded money to drop the "criminal case." She then transferred Rs 20 lakh from her account to another account provided by the scammer. Police arrested Kumar, the owner of the receiving account, on May 6, 2025. He subsequently filed a bail application.
Defense Arguments
Kumar's counsel argued that his client was falsely implicated and no evidence linked him to the crime. "There is no independent public witness against the applicant. He did not induce or convince the plaintiff's wife to deposit any amount into his bank account," the counsel said. He further contended that no fraudster would ask a victim to transfer money directly into his own account. "If my client had intended to defraud the plaintiff's wife, he would have withdrawn or transferred the proceeds immediately instead of leaving them in his account to be discovered by police," the counsel added.
Prosecution's Stand
The assistant district government counsel opposed the bail, stating that the case was part of a larger conspiracy and that investigations were ongoing. After hearing both sides, the court noted that while there was no direct evidence of inducement, the charges against Kumar were serious. "A thorough investigation without interference with witnesses was necessary," the court said.
Broader Context
Police revealed that mule accounts are frequently used by cybercriminals to move illegally obtained money and hinder tracing. Investigations into similar cases in Noida have led to bank accounts in Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. On Friday, Delhi Police also dismantled a network involved in procuring and supplying mule bank accounts to cyber fraudsters, arresting three individuals from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The accused allegedly facilitated the opening and supply of accounts used for receiving and routing money from online fraud.
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About the Author
Jaideep Deogharia is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with 21 years of experience in print media preceded by two years in electronic media. After leading the Jharkhand bureau for 7 years, he now reports from Delhi NCR, covering courts including the National Green Tribunal, consumer rights, environment, and climate change. He specializes in climate change, human rights, and left-wing extremism, and is a trained expert mediator. An IVLP alumnus of 2024, he enjoys music, badminton, and traveling in leisure.
