Rs 1-crore cyber fraud accused denied bail

A local court has dismissed the bail application of Vijay Kumar, an accused arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving over Rs 1 crore.

The case was registered by Chandigarh Police based on a complaint filed by Manjeet, a city resident. In her statement to the police, she recounted receiving an anonymous phone call on 11th July, during which the caller claimed that a mobile number registered in her name was linked to suspicious activity and money laundering cases.

Soon after, she received a WhatsApp call from a person who identified himself as “Sunil,” allegedly a CBI officer from the Crime Branch. He informed her that an ICICI Bank account had been opened in her name and was being used to receive funds linked to a money laundering scam. He further accused her of using the account for various criminal activities.

Despite her repeated denials, the caller shared an image of an ICICI bank passbook showing her name as the account holder and claimed that her Aadhaar number was used to open the account. The caller then pressured her to cooperate if she wanted a “clean chit” in the case.

The complainant stated that she was shown a letter bearing Government of India stamps and was coerced into sharing her personal bank details under the pretext of verification. Following his instructions, she deposited her entire savings — amounting to approximately Rs 1.01 crore — into various accounts claimed to be under the safe custody of authorities. Eventually, she realised that she had been duped in a sophisticated cyber scam.

Counsel for the accused argued that Vijay Kumar was falsely implicated and had no direct involvement in creating fake identities or defrauding the complainant. He claimed that the accused merely dealt with bank accounts and was not a part of the actual fraud.

However, the public prosecutor informed the court that Vijay Kumar was arrested on July 27, 2025 and that the investigation had established his involvement in the case.

After hearing both sides, the court dismissed the bail application, noting that the nature of evidence and the complexity of the case suggested a high likelihood that the accused could tamper with evidence if released on bail. The court further observed that such cybercrime cases are on the rise and have serious implications for society at large.