Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 18 September 2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: Appellant Ashok Kumar vs. State of Punjab (Respondent).
  • Proceedings: Criminal Appeal No. ___ of 2026 (SLP(CRL.) No.12387/2026) arising from the impugned judgment dated 20‑05‑2026 of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana (CRM‑M No. 27477/2026).
  • Background: A person claiming to be CBI Officer Kulaba called Rajinder Singh, alleging misuse of his mobile number and pending criminal complaints. A subsequent WhatsApp video call by an individual identifying himself as Mr. Shikhawat claimed the complainant was linked to an international case involving Naresh Goyal and threatened arrest. Under this threat, the complainant transferred Rs.14 Lakhs via RTGS to an IDFC First Bank account titled "Radha Pan Parlour".
  • FIR: FIR No. 05/2025 was lodged by PS Cyber Crime, Fazilka against Mr. Shikhawat and unidentified associates.
  • Co‑accused: Jogi Tulsi Ram Pralahad Bhai was arrested; money was initially credited to his account. Vipulbhai Labhubhai, another co‑accused, obtained regular bail from the High Court on 27‑04‑2026 (CRM‑M‑15097‑2026).
  • Appellant’s Arrest: Ashok Kumar was arrested on 12‑10‑2025 and remains in custody.
  • Appellant’s Contentions: No prior criminal record; not named in the FIR; primary transaction routed to "Radha Pan Parlour" (account of Jogi Tulsi Ram). Later investigation traced Rs.7,50,000/- transferred from Jogi Tulsi Ram’s account to a Bank of Baroda account held by the appellant. The appellant alleges Hari Lal (also referred to as Hira Ram) accessed his account after being told his own account was dysfunctional, promising the appellant Rs.20,000/- for the usage.
  • Legal Position: The appellant claims ignorance of the cyber‑fraud, no direct contact with the complainant, and that no money has been recovered from him.

Final Outcome

  • The Court observed that a chargesheet has been filed and only two of eight witnesses have been examined, concluding that continued incarceration is unwarranted.
  • The appeal is allowed; Ashok Kumar is released on bail subject to terms and conditions the jurisdictional court may impose.
  • All pending applications, if any, are ordered disposed of.

Topics: Legal Decision, Cyber Fraud, Bail Grant