The Bombay High Court has refused anticipatory bail to a man whose bank account allegedly received ₹4.03 crore from a ₹7.17 crore digital arrest fraud, observing that custodial interrogation was necessary to trace the money and identify those behind the crime.
Justice RM Joshi, sitting at the Aurangabad bench, rejected the plea filed by Anuj Saxena in Anuj Saxena v. State & Anr., stressing the growing threat posed by digital arrest scams.
The case originated from a complaint by a doctor in Maharashtra who was allegedly coerced into transferring ₹7.17 crore to fraudsters posing as authorities. During the investigation, officials discovered that ₹4.03 crore of the defrauded amount had entered Saxena’s bank account before being withdrawn.
Saxena maintained that he operated a charitable institution and had shared his bank details in anticipation of a promised donation of ₹20 lakh. He also claimed that his mobile phone had been hacked.
The Court, however, noted that no evidence had been placed on record to substantiate the alleged hacking. It was not persuaded to grant him protection from arrest on the basis of his explanation.
Highlighting the seriousness of such offences, Justice Joshi observed that an increasing number of people were falling victim to digital arrest frauds.
The Court also cautioned against accepting casual or belated explanations from individuals whose bank accounts receive money linked to criminal activity. Such justifications, it observed, could encourage the commission of similar offences.
Emphasising the need to establish the full chain of the alleged fraud, the bench held that custodial interrogation was essential to investigate the transactions, identify the actual perpetrators and uncover the wider network involved.
The Court accordingly rejected Saxena’s anticipatory bail plea.