Kolkata: In a significant order, the Calcutta High Court rejected the bail pleas of three accused persons, allegedly part of an organised gang operating throughout the country, in a sensational case involving allegations of illegal confinement, extortion and false rape accusations.
The order was passed by the bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh following a joint hearing as all three bail applications, moved by Souvik Dasmal alias Sunny, Vikram Das alias Saptarshi and a co-accused woman referred to as ‘D’, arose from the same FIR.
According to the prosecution, the accused were part of an organised criminal gang that targeted the de- facto complainant, a businessman and his driver on December 4, 2023. The two were allegedly drugged, confined for over 28 hours and used for extortion. The complainant’s mother filed a missing diary on December 5, which lent prima facie support to the case. CCTV footage, mobile phone data and a suicide note by a co-accused — who allegedly took her life while under investigation — further incriminated the petitioners.
‘D’ had earlier filed a rape case against the complainant, but her complaint was declared “false and un-occurred” after investigation. Forensic analysis of her mobile phone and voice data contradicted her version. The High Court found her FIR to be retaliatory in nature and noted that she was watching OTT content at the time she claimed to be assaulted.
The court observed that the group had employed similar tactics in other cities, including an extortion racket worth Rs 7 crore in Mumbai. It concluded that there existed a high possibility of the petitioners intimidating witnesses if released on bail, particularly with 12 vulnerable witnesses yet to be examined.
“The petitioners prima facie appear to have been operating as an organized gang throughout the country, extorting huge amounts of money from victims by keeping them confined and initiating false rape cases against them,” the court observed.