Mumbai, March 7, 2024 – Hartali Prasad Rohidas, accused of cheating people by offering fake railway jobs, has been granted bail by the Sessions Court for Greater Mumbai. Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh A. Sasne allowed Rohidas’s bail application (Criminal Bail Application No. 461 of 2024), citing his cooperation with the investigation and the fact that he had been in custody for over a month.

Rohidas was arrested on February 3, 2024, in connection with CR No. 110/2024, registered at Mumbai Central Railway Police Station, for offenses punishable under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery¹ for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian² Penal Code, 1860, and Section 66(D) (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Prosecution’s Case:

The prosecution alleged that Rohidas had been offering fake railway jobs and cheating people. Based on information received from a newspaper reporter, the Vigilance Department of Churchgate Railway Station set up a trap using a decoy candidate. Rohidas allegedly demanded money from the decoy candidate, who then transferred ₹20,000 via Google Pay and handed over a cheque for ₹3 lakhs, which was later dishonored. Rohidas also allegedly sent fake verification and medical call letters to the decoy candidate via email.

Defense Arguments:

Rohidas’s advocate, Durgesh Jaiswal, argued that his client was innocent and falsely implicated. He stated that Rohidas had cooperated with the investigation, had been in custody since February 3, 2024, was the sole breadwinner for his family, and had no prior criminal record. He also argued that there was no need for further custody as nothing was to be recovered from him.

Prosecution’s Objections:

The Additional Public Prosecutor (APP), Iqbal Solkar, opposed the bail application, arguing that releasing Rohidas would affect the collection of evidence, that he might flee from justice, and that there was a risk of witness tampering.

Court’s Decision:

Judge Sasne, after reviewing the submissions, noted that the offenses were punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment. He acknowledged that Rohidas had been in custody for over a month and that no recovery was pending against him. He also considered that the prosecution had not shown any prior convictions against Rohidas.

The court concluded that Rohidas was entitled to bail, considering the facts and circumstances of the case.

Conditions of Bail:

Judge Sasne granted Rohidas bail on the following conditions:

• He must furnish a personal bond (P.B.) and surety bond (S.B.) of ₹25,000 with one or two sureties.
• He must not tamper with prosecution witnesses or evidence.
• He must attend the concerned police station on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month until the filing of the charge sheet.
• He is allowed provisional cash bail of the same amount, but must furnish surety within four weeks, failing which the cash bail will be forfeited.
• He must not leave India without prior permission from the court.
• Bail must be furnished before the concerned Magistrate.

Significance of the Order:

This order highlights the court’s consideration of the accused’s cooperation with the investigation and the duration of custody in granting bail. The court also considered the absence of prior convictions and the nature of the offenses. The imposition of conditions, such as regular attendance at the police station, reflects the court’s efforts to ensure the accused’s presence during the proceedings and prevent any interference with the investigation.