Economic offences involving organized cyber-fraud and the use of mule accounts to route stolen funds undermine financial system integrity and justify the rejection of bail due to their serious societal impact and organized nature.

Order on Board

1. Since the above-mentioned bail applications arise out of same crime number, the same are clubbed and heard together and are being disposed of by this common order.

2. These are the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’) for grant of regular bail to the applicants who have been arrested in connection with Crime No. 129/2025 registered at Police Station Cyber Range, Civil Lines Raipur, District - Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 & 3(5) of BNS.

3. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the applicants/accused persons, along with other co-accused individuals, were actively involved in an organised network engaged in cyber-fraud activities. The case diaries and charge-sheets reflect that numerous mule bank accounts were opened or facilitated by the accused in different banks, multiple accounts linked with fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs.64,10,855/-. These accounts were allegedly used to receive, transfer, circulate, and conceal funds obtained through cyber cheating. The prosecution asserts that the accused participated in a structured criminal syndicate engaged in cyber fraud and willingly assisted in the movement of stolen money, the material on record indicates prima facie involvement of the accused with co-accused persons in a coordinated fraud operation, which led to the registration of alleged offence against the applicants. Hence, the bail application.

4. Learned counsel for the applicant in MCRC No.797 of 2026 submits that the applicant is innocent and has falsely been implicated in the present case, only on the basis of the memorandum statements of the co-accused persons, which are alleged to be false and baseless. There is no independent or corroborative evidence collected by the prosecution to substantiate the allegations against the applicant, and he has been arraigned as an accused without any direct material connecting him to the alleged offence. She further submits that the essential ingredients of Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5) and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 are not attracted in the present case as against the applicant. The prosecution has failed to collect sufficient material regarding the alleged cyber crime, and no incriminating article has been seized from the possession of the applicant. The applicant has not committed any cyber offence and has been arrested merely on the basis of the disclosure statements of co-accused persons. She also submits that the material available on record, no prima facie case is made out against the applicant. She later submits that similarly placed co-accused persons have preferred Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No. 13678/2025 before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, wherein bail has been granted, and a copy of the said order is annexed herewith as Annexure A-3. The applicant is in jail since 25.03.2025, the applicant has no criminal antecedent, charge-sheet has been filed and the trial is likely to take some time for its conclusion. Therefore, she prays for grant of bail to the applicant.

5. Learned counsel for the applicant in MCRC No.901 of 2026 submits that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case, the applicant submits that the entire allegations levelled against him are false, fabricated and without any factual basis. He has neither transferred nor fr