Mumbai, March 16, 2024 – Amaljit Manoj Manglaparambu, a 24-year-old from Kerala, has been granted bail by the Sessions Court for Greater Bombay in a cyber fraud case. Additional Sessions Judge Dr. S.D. Tawshikar (Court Room No. 10) issued the order on March 13, 2024.
Manglaparambu was arrested in connection with C.R. No. 14 of 2024, registered at the Marine Drive Police Station, for offenses under Sections 170 (personating a public servant), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property),1 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security,2 will, etc.) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Background and Allegations:
The complainant, Virendra Sevantilal Shroff, reported receiving anonymous calls from individuals impersonating Customs and Police officers. They threatened him with a contraband parcel and induced him to transfer Rs. 3,50,000 to a bank account. The prosecution alleged that Manglaparambu’s HDFC bank account was used to deposit Rs. 52,00,000 from various cheating offenses, which was then transferred to other accounts.
Arguments Presented:
Advocate Balakrishnan K., representing Manglaparambu, argued that his client, a recent Diploma Engineer graduate, was misled by co-accused Niranjan. He claimed that Manglaparambu opened the bank account and handed over the debit card and SIM card to Niranjan, unaware of any fraudulent activities. He emphasized Manglaparambu’s cooperation with the investigation and his lack of criminal antecedents.
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Ajit Chavan and the investigating officer argued that Manglaparambu’s HDFC account showed multiple suspicious transactions and that his mobile was linked to a Punjab National Bank (PNB) account in another person’s name, indicating his active participation in the offense.
Court’s Reasoning and Decision:
Judge Tawshikar noted that the FIR pertained to a fraud of Rs. 3,50,000 and that Rs. 1,12,000 from the HDFC account had already been frozen. He considered Manglaparambu’s cooperation with the investigation, his lack of criminal antecedents, and the near-completion of the investigation against him.
While acknowledging that some co-accused were absconding, the court found that this did not justify denying bail to Manglaparambu. The court concluded that Manglaparambu could be released on bail subject to certain conditions.
Bail Conditions:
Manglaparambu was granted bail upon executing a personal bond of Rs. 25,000 with one or two sureties of the same amount. The following conditions were imposed:
- Manglaparambu must attend the Marine Drive Police Station on March 18, 2024 (if released by then), April 1, 2024, and as required by the Investigating Officer on written intimation.
- He must not tamper with prosecution evidence.
- He must not directly or indirectly influence or threaten any person acquainted with the case.
- He must furnish documents proving his identity, residence, email ID, and active phone number.
- He must notify the police station of any change in his address or mobile number.
- He must not commit any criminal act while on bail.
- Breach of any condition will result in the cancellation of his bail.
- Bail to be furnished before the Trial Court.
Order Details:
The order was dictated and pronounced on March 13, 2024, transcribed on March 15, 2024, and signed on March 16, 2024. The certified copy was uploaded on March 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
This decision reflects the court’s consideration of Manglaparambu’s cooperation, the near-completion of the investigation, his lack of criminal antecedents, and the imposition of conditions to ensure his compliance with the legal process.