Mumbai, March 14, 2022 – Sohrab Anaulmiyan Ansari, a resident of Jharkhand, has been granted bail by the Sessions Court for Greater Mumbai in a cyber fraud case. Additional Sessions Judge R.M. Sadrani (Court Room No. 37) issued the order on March 14, 2022.

Ansari was arrested in connection with C.R. No. 44 of 2021, registered at the West Region Cyber Police Station, Mumbai, for offenses 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 (IPC), and Sections 66(C) (identity theft) and 66(D) (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.³

Background and Allegations:

The prosecution alleged that Ansari was involved in a cyber fraud where customers of the State Bank of India (SBI) were asked to update their KYC through forged URL links resembling the SBI website. Over 2,100 mobile numbers were targeted. Ansari was arrested on November 1, 2021, and during the investigation, six mobile phones, two laptops, one hard disk, one bootable pen drive, and eight SIM cards were seized from him. He was found to have used a bootable pen drive to commit the fraud and refreshed his software after each fraudulent transaction. He allegedly defrauded Rs. 2,43,000, which was withdrawn using YONO Cash. The charge sheet has been filed, and five other accused are wanted in the case.

Arguments Presented:

• The investigation is over, and the charge sheet has been filed.
• The applicant is a resident of Jharkhand.
• The maximum punishment prescribed for the offenses is seven years.

Court’s Reasoning and Decision:

Judge Sadrani considered the arguments and the evidence. The court noted that the investigation was complete, and the charge sheet had been filed. Given that Ansari is a resident of Jharkhand, the court decided to grant bail but imposed a cash surety in addition to the regular surety.

Bail Conditions:

Ansari was granted bail upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 50,000 with one or more sureties of the same amount. Additionally, he was required to deposit a cash surety of Rs. 50,000. The following conditions were imposed:

• Ansari must provide his detailed address and phone number at the time of furnishing bail.
• Bail must be furnished before the court attending remand.
• Ansari must attend court dates regularly unless exempted.
• Ansari must not directly or indirectly influence, threaten, or promise any person acquainted with the facts of the accusation.
• Ansari must not leave India without prior permission of the court.

Order Details:

The order was dictated, transcribed, and signed on March 14, 2022. The certified copy was uploaded on March 14, 2022, at 5:25 p.m.

This decision reflects the court’s consideration of the completion of the investigation, the applicant’s residence in Jharkhand, and the imposition of a cash surety to ensure his presence during the trial, along with other standard bail conditions.