Mumbai, February 12, 2024 – The Additional Sessions Court of Greater Mumbai has granted bail to Kanchan Prabhakar Meshram, a 27-year-old service employee from Nagpur, who was arrested in connection with a large-scale cyber fraud case amounting to Rs. 55,36,000. The case was registered at the South Region Cyber Police Station, Crime Branch, Mumbai, under Crime Report No. 20/2023.
Case Background
The case came to light when the complainant, Hemangini Zunzunwala, reported being duped through an online fraud scheme. According to the complaint, on July 23, 2023, she received a WhatsApp message offering a part-time job. The task required her to like YouTube videos, and initially, she was paid for completing the tasks. However, between July 24 and July 28, 2023, she was asked to deposit various amounts into different bank accounts. Eventually, she lost a total of Rs. 55,36,000 and subsequently lodged a formal complaint, leading to the registration of the case.
Prosecution’s Allegations
The prosecution contended that the fraudulent scheme involved multiple bank accounts to which the complainant’s money was credited. It was alleged that the bank account of the accused, Kanchan Prabhakar Meshram, was used by the fraudsters to receive funds. The prosecution claimed that she had received Rs. 10,000 for allowing fraudsters to use her account and that an amount of Rs. 14,50,000 had been credited to her account as part of the fraudulent transactions.
Defense Argument
Advocate Dr. Pawan Pandey, representing the accused, argued that she was falsely implicated and had been in custody since her arrest on January 5, 2024. The defense highlighted that Meshram’s role was limited to providing her bank account details and that she was not the primary beneficiary of the crime. Furthermore, her account had already been frozen by authorities, and there was no pending recovery of funds from her. The defense also assured the court that the accused was a permanent resident of Nagpur and posed no flight risk.
Court’s Ruling
After hearing both parties, Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh A. Sasne ruled in favor of granting bail to Meshram, citing her limited role in the offense. The court noted that the accused had merely provided her account details to individuals identified as Salma Ali and Harshal Sonkusre, who were the main orchestrators of the scam.
The court imposed the following bail conditions:
- Meshram will be released on bail upon furnishing a personal bond and surety bond of Rs. 20,000.
- She must not tamper with prosecution witnesses or evidence in any manner.
- She must report to the concerned police station on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. until the charge sheet is filed.
- She is allowed provisional cash bail but must provide a surety within four weeks of her release; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the cash bail.
- She is prohibited from leaving India without prior court permission.
Conclusion
The decision to grant bail to Meshram has sparked discussions on the growing issue of cyber fraud and the involvement of intermediary participants in digital financial crimes. While the accused has been granted conditional release, the investigation into the larger network behind the fraud continues. Law enforcement authorities are still pursuing key suspects, including Salma Ali and Harshal Sonkusre, to dismantle the entire fraudulent operation.
The case underscores the increasing use of digital platforms for financial fraud and the necessity for individuals to remain vigilant against online scams. The cyber police have urged citizens to verify the legitimacy of online job offers and financial transactions to prevent falling victim to such schemes.