New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to three persons accused of duping a seller on an online marketplace, stating that while online cheating and fraud have become rampant, it cannot remiss in performing its duty of upholding liberty.
Justice Subramonium Prasad warned the three accused not to indulge in the same offence again and ordered that their bail would be subject to furnishing bail bonds of Rs 25,000 with the two sureties of the like amount.
The judge stated that since the investigation was complete and the charge sheet stood filed, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the petitioners in further custody.
"This court is aware that this kind of online cheating and fraud have become rampant in most parts of the country. However, this court cannot remiss in performing its duty, that is to uphold liberty subject to other relevant considerations," the court said in its order dated December 13.
"Since the investigation has been completed and the charge sheet has been filed before the learned trial court and taking into account the evidence are primarily documentary in nature, this court, therefore, is of the opinion that no useful purpose will be served by further keeping the petitioners in custody," it added.
The court directed the petitioners to report to the police station concerned twice in a week and not tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses.
The court also asked the petitioners to give all their mobile numbers to the investigating officer and keep them operational at all times.
In the present case, the complainant alleged that she had uploaded certain articles for sale on an online platform but was duped by the petitioners into transferring Rs 34,000 to them through online payment mode.