Court denies bail to youth accused in cyber fraud case

Srinagar, Apr 26: A local court in Srinagar has rejected the bail application of a youth accused of cheating a minor through the use of a mule bank account and online fraud.
The Sub-Registrar (Judicial Magistrate) Srinagar, Adnan Manzoor Naqashbandi, denied bail to Wahid Ahmad Rather of Solina, Srinagar, citing concerns that the accused may tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
The accused was arrested by the Cyber Police Station, Srinagar Zone, following a complaint received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The complaint involved an online investment scam targeting a minor, who was duped of Rs 1,74,028 under the pretense of earning high returns through online investments.
While refusing bail, the court observed that the allegations were of a serious nature and noted that such offences disturb the social fabric of society. The court pointed out that the complainant had invested hard-earned money under false promises of huge profits.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under sections related to cheating by personation using computer resources, criminal conspiracy, and dishonest inducement to deliver property, among others.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Safura Amin strongly opposed the bail application, informing the court that the accused was involved in non-bailable offences.
She revealed that transactions amounting to Rs 1.96 crore were credited to the accused’s account within a month and that eight other cybercrime complaints from across the country had been linked to the same account.
The prosecutor further submitted that the accused operated multiple mule accounts, receiving fraudulent funds as commission. Mule accounts are typically used to receive and transfer illicit funds acquired through online scams, phishing, identity theft, and illegal gambling operations.
Authorities have expressed concern over the rising trend of mule account operations in Kashmir, warning that such practices are increasingly being exploited by organised cybercrime networks to launder money and evade detection. (KNO)