An Ahmedabad sessions court has rejected the bail plea of a man accused of cheating a 79-year-old woman of Rs 38 lakh in a digital arrest scam.
The accused, Subhash Biswal, originally from Odisha and residing in Vapi at the time of his arrest, allegedly worked with a group that targeted the woman between March 3 and 6.
According to the police, the accused posed as officials of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and contacted the woman through video calls. The scammers allegedly used a setup displaying an Anti-Terrorism Squad board to make the impersonation appear genuine.
The woman was reportedly told that she had been in contact with a terrorist and was asked to transfer money as part of a supposed verification process. Following Biswal’s arrest, investigators found that he was operating an account linked to SS Enterprise, from which Rs 8 lakh was recovered.
Police suspect that the remaining amount was withdrawn or transferred by other members of the alleged fraud network.
Biswal denied the allegations and sought bail. However, the prosecution opposed the plea, citing findings from the ongoing investigation.
Additional Sessions Judge JI Patel observed that a prima facie case of fraud had been established against the accused. The court noted that he was allegedly involved in deceiving the complainant, obtaining money from her and receiving a commission from the proceeds.
The court also noted that the investigation was still underway and that three other complaints had been registered in connection with the case. Considering the nature of the alleged offence and the punishment prescribed for it, the court declined to grant bail.
