Bail granted in cyber-fraud case involving impersonation where charge-sheet was filed and no criminal antecedents existed.

The applicant sought regular bail following his arrest on 22.01.2026 in connection with Crime No. 400/2025.

The prosecution alleged that between January 2024 and January 2025, a bank account opened in the name of co-accused Siddharth Bhoi was used for fraudulent online transactions amounting to ₹11,57,049.

Siddharth Bhoi’s memorandum statement alleged that the applicant paid him ₹10,000 to impersonate him and open the account, subsequently taking possession of the ATM card, passbook, and linked SIM card to facilitate cyber fraud.

The applicant contended he was falsely implicated based solely on a co-accused’s statement and noted that the charge-sheet had already been filed.

1. Whether the applicant is entitled to the grant of regular bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, considering the nature of the allegations and the period of incarceration.

Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, regarding the High Court's power to grant bail.

Sections 314 (Fraud), 317(2) & 317(4) (Stolen property), 61(2)(A) (Criminal Conspiracy), and 112 (Abetment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, alongside Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act (Identity theft and cheating by personation).

The court evaluated the gravity of the cyber fraud allegations against the procedural status of the case.

The court prioritized the facts that the applicant had no previous criminal record, the investigation was complete with the charge-sheet already filed, and the applicant had been in custody since January 2026.

The court determined that continued pre-trial detention was not warranted under these circumstances.

The holding was conditioned upon the applicant's regular appearance for trial, a prohibition on seeking unnecessary adjournments, and strict compliance with Sections 209, 269, and 351 of the BNSS; any breach of these conditions or misuse of liberty would entitle the trial court to revoke the bail.