IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

145-1 CRM-M-52036-2025 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Abhishek Pandey ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

145-2 CRM-M-53740-2025 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Arpita Sarbabidya ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

145-3 CRM-M-62006-2025 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Arfin Siddiqui ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

226 CRM-M-12428-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Shadan Shakil ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

227 CRM-M-12976-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Amit Tiwari ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

228-1 CRM-M-14501-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Mukul Singh ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

228-2 CRM-M-14516-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Pardeep Dass ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

228-3 CRM-M-14556-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 30.03.2026 Akshay Kumar ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS State of Punjab ...Respondent(s)

CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VINOD S. BHARDWAJ Present :- Mr. J.S. Dadwal, Advocate for the petitioner(s)

in CRM-M-53740-2025.

Mr. Pardeep Kumar, Advocate for the petitioner(s)

in CRM-M-62006-2025 and CRM-M-12428-2026 Mr. Nitish Jhajhria, Advocate for Mr. B.S. Makkar, Advocate for the petitioner(s) in CRM-M-52036-2025 and CRM-M-12976-2026.

Mr. Nirbhay Garg, Advocate;

Mr. Amrinder Garg, Advocate;

Mr. Vikramjit Singh, Advocate for the petitioner(s)

in CRM-M-14501-2026, CRM-M-14516-2026 and CRM-M-14556-2026.

Mr. Mohit Kapoor, Sr. DAG Punjab.

*****

VINOD S. BHARDWAJ, J. (Oral)

1. All these petitions, filed by different accused/petitioners, for grant of regular bail in case arising out of FIR No.32 dated 17.06.2025, registered under Section(s) 318(4), 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act, at Police Station Cyber Crime Phase-7, SAS Nagar (Mohali), are being decided by this common order.

2. For the facility of reference facts are being adverted to from CRM-M-52036-2025.

3. The present FIR came to be registered on the basis of secret information received by Inspector, Police Station Cyber Crime Phase-07, Mohali to the effect that certain unknown persons were running a company in Flat No.501, Tower No.03 and Flat No.1101, Tower No.02, Acme Eden Court, Acme Emerald Sector-91, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and they were running a fraudulent call centre through the use of computers, false mobile applications, mobile games and other such digital platforms and had thereby siphoned off crores of rupees and in the event of a raid being conducted, the fraudsters could be apprehended along with incriminating material, including computers and mobile phones. Acting upon the said information, the present FIR was registered for the offences aforementioned. Pursuant to the raid conducted thereafter, the petitioners herein came to be apprehended at the spot.

4. It is revealed from the record that the petitioners had been duping foreign nationals by extending threats on the pretext that they were involved in illegal currency transactions and that their bank accounts were linked to trade of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. On such false representations, the victims were subjected to “digital arrest,” thereby coercing them into transferring substantial sums of money. It is alleged that an enormous amount, running into crores of rupees, was siphoned off through the said modus operandi. During the course of the raid, 13 laptops and 14 mobile phones, along with one Scorpio vehicle, were recovered from the spot. It is further contended that as per the status report filed by the respondent-State, the total magnitude of the fraud is stated to be around Rs.50 crores.

5. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners contends that the petitioners were merely employed in the aforesaid call centre and had no role to play in the commission of the alleged offence. They contend tha