Punjab & Haryana High Court Grants Regular Bail in Cyber Fraud Case; Notes Clean Antecedents and Absence of Recovery

Case Name: Shaik Noushad Ahammed vs. State of Punjab
Date of Judgment: 21 November 2025
Citation: CRM-M-58335-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj

Held: The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted regular bail to the petitioner accused in a cyber fraud case involving the impersonation of police officers and extortion of over one crore rupees from a victim. The Court held that continued custody was not necessary, especially when co-accused had already been granted bail and no recovery was attributable to the petitioner.

Summary: The FIR alleged that the complainant was “digitally arrested” over video calls by persons posing as officers of Mumbai Police and later as CBI officials, who coerced her into transferring large sums to specified bank accounts. The petitioner, a Relationship Manager, was implicated on the disclosure of a co-accused who claimed the fraudulent account was opened with his assistance.

The Court noted that the allegation against the petitioner related to facilitation of account opening, not to forgery, impersonation or receipt of the cheated amount. No incriminating recovery had been made from him, and the State could not establish that verification of documents was his responsibility. The petitioner had clean antecedents, and similarly placed co-accused had already secured bail. The Court held that further custodial detention was unwarranted.

Decision: The petition was allowed. The petitioner was ordered to be released on regular bail subject to conditions imposed by the trial court. He was directed not to threaten or influence witnesses. Observations were clarified to be non-prejudicial to the trial.