Online frauds increasing, Punjab and Haryana High Court calls for unearthing modus operandi

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, May 21

Taking cognisance of the concerning increase in online frauds where innocents are being deceived for undue financial gains, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for an investigation into the modus operandi adopted by the accused. The court emphasised the need to uncover these methods in the larger public interest.

Justice Harkesh Manuja of the high court asserted that online frauds were increasing day-by-day, wherein innocent were being deceived to extract undue financial gains, potentially affecting their financial, economic and social stability in the process.

Justice Manuja also asserted such incidents were even diminishing the general public’s trust in the online/digital banking transactions resulting in huge economical loss to the nation at large. “Moreover, such kind of fraud through economic transactions are definitely going to result in long-term economic as well as emotional distress to the victims and may also encourage the dishonest intents of such perpetrators,” the Bench added.

Justice Manuja was hearing a petition filed by Nitin Chauhan against the State of Haryana and other respondents for the grant of anticipatory bail in a cheating and criminal breach of trust case registered on April 14, 2023, under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC at the DLF police station in Gurugram.

In his detailed order, Justice Manuja observed the complainant, a 65-year-old retiree, was duped of his life-long earnings and savings on the “pretext of issuance of some insurance policy by the petitioner”. The facts and circumstances of the case spoke volume about the petitioner’s direct role in defrauding the complainant as mobile number from which he received calls regarding inducement about making investment in insurance policies belonged to the accused

“The custodial interrogation of the petitioner is essential in the interest of public at large so as to unearth the modus operandi adopted by him in online fraud/cyber crime, which definitely and essentially results in breach of privacy of the complainant,” Justice Manuja asserted.

Dismissing the plea, Justice Manuja added the petitioner in the given facts did not deserve the discretion of anticipatory bail.