Digital arrest scam: Man who duped 91-year-old cardiologist of crores granted bail

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A man accused of duping a 91-year-old Delhi-based cardiologist of INR 3.42 crore on the pretext of a digital arrest was granted bail by the court.

New Delhi [India], July 22 (HBTV): A man accused of duping a 91-year-old Delhi-based cardiologist of INR 3.42 crore on the pretext of a digital arrest was granted bail by the court on Monday. The accused, Amit Sharma, is specifically linked to a cheating amount of INR 1 crore, while the FIR pertains to the larger sum of INR 3.42 crore.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Saurabh Pratap Singh Laller of the Patiala House Court granted bail after taking into account the fact that the charge sheet had been filed and that a co-accused had already been granted bail.

The court further noted that the INR 1 crore allegedly cheated by the accused had been returned to the complainant and that the entire defrauded amount had been routed through different bank accounts.

The court observed: ‘Critically, as stated by the Investigating Officer during proceedings, examination of the applicant’s WhatsApp chats reveals mention of the present DBS Bank account, with no connections to other cyber fraud cases. This limits the applicant’s apparent involvement to the instant transaction.’

‘Further, the cheated amount of INR 1,00,00,000 linked to this accused was frozen and refunded to the complainant, mitigating financial prejudice,’ ASJ Singh noted in the order passed on July 21.

While granting bail to Amit Sharma, the court also cited the fact that co-accused Hari Swargiary, who faced similar allegations of acting as an intermediary in credential sharing, had been granted bail on July 10, 2025, due to the absence of any direct benefit and the completion of the investigation.

The counsel for Amit Sharma submitted that the accused had been in custody since April 17, 2025, the charge sheet had been filed, and no further recovery was pending. Advocate Amit Kumar argued that his client was not a beneficiary of the defrauded amount, which had already been secured and refunded to the complainant.

However, the Delhi Police opposed the bail plea. The Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) argued that the accused played a central role in providing bank account credentials to the co-accused for a commission, thereby facilitating the fraud of INR 3.42 crore against the elderly complainant.

The prosecution also flagged the risk of absconding, citing the accused’s changed addresses, and emphasised the ongoing need to trace the masterminds and other accomplices.

(ANI)