NT Reporter
Panaji
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Merces, has granted conditional bail to Muhammed Rasiq Pulikkal (21), a native of Kerala, who was arrested by the cyber crime police in connection with a digital arrest fraud case in which a Panaji resident lost around Rs 90.85 lakh.
He was arrested on March 26. The court observed that since the applicant had been directed to judicial custody, keeping him in custody would in no way assist the investigating officer or the prosecution. The investigation can continue without keeping the accused in custody, the court said.
“The present circumstances do not indicate any exception to keep the applicant in jail. The liberty of a person cannot be curtailed only for keeping him in judicial custody. The apprehension of the prosecution can be put to rest by imposing conditions on the accused,” the court said in an order passed a few days ago.
According to the police, the accused had received
Rs 5 lakh in his bank account, which was subsequently routed to multiple accounts of his associates. His account was also linked to two other cyber fraud cases across Karnataka and Goa, with a cumulative fraud amount of Rs 2.1 crore.
