MOHAMMAD SARTAJ ALAM v. THE STATE OF JHARKHAND

Neutral Citation 2026:JHHC:22929-DB

CRIMINAL APPEAL (DB) NO. 707 OF 2026 1

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

Criminal Appeal (DB) No. 707 of 2026 Mohammad Sartaj Alam, S/o Najmur Rahman, R/o House No. 9, Cross Road No. 3, Old Purulia Road, Zakir Nagar East, P.O.- Azadnagar, P.S.- Azadnagar, Jamshedpur Dist.- East Singhbhum. ... Appellant

Versus The State of Jharkhand … Respondent

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR RAI

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For the Appellant : Mr. A.K. Rashidi, Adv. For the State : P.P.

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04/04.08.2026 Heard Mr. A.K. Rashidi, learned counsel for the appellant and Mr. Pankaj Kumar, learned P.P.

2. This appeal is against the order dated 28-03-2026 passed in Misc. Criminal Application No. 459/2026 arising out of Cyber Crime P.S. Case No. 158/2025 by the learned Additional Judicial Commissioner-II-cum-Special Judge I/c, Cyber Crime and Drugs and Cosmetics, Ranchi, whereby and whereunder, the prayer for bail of the appellant has been rejected.

3. The prosecution case reveals that the informant who had studied till class 12 was searching for a job as the financial condition of his family was poor. On 06-10-2025, the informant had made a contact with one Akhil through

"Telegram" who had assured him that he will find him a job at Bangkok on a salary of Rs. 70,000/- per month. It has been stated that on 08-10-2025, the said person had sent on the Telegram account of the informant, the tickets for Bangkok

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and on 10-10-2025, the Arrival Pass of Immigration Bureau, Royal Thailand Police as well as the ticket to Boss Suites Nana Hotel, Bangkok and the informant was asked to bring Rs. 30,000/-. The informant had boarded his flight on 10-10-2025 and he landed at Thailand Airport, Bangkok on 11-10-2025. An associate of Akhil had come who had taken him on a car to Myanmar by crossing the border. There were several persons with him who were engaged in cybercrime. On 18-10-2025, there was a raid by the Myanmar Army and the informant was kept in a Detention Centre. With the assistance of the Indian Embassy, the informant was brought back to Ghaziabad on an Indian Air Force plane.

Based on the aforesaid allegations, Cyber Crime P.S. Case No. 158/2025 was instituted against the appellant and others.

4. It has been submitted by Mr. A.K. Rashidi, learned counsel for the appellant that the appellant is not named in the victim statement and the prosecution case hinges on pseudonymous Telegram handlers with no nexus established with the appellant. The appellant has been implicated on the basis of vague and unverified information. It has been submitted that the charge sheet has been submitted by the Police and the appellant is in custody since 18-02-2026. There is no chance of the trial being concluded in the near future.

5. Mr. Pankaj Kumar, learned P.P. has opposed the prayer for bail of the appellant and has submitted that in course of investigation the name of the appellant has surfaced of trapping innocent persons in order to get them involved in cybercrime.

6. A perusal of the Case Diary reveals at paragraphs 9 to 15, the manner in which the victims were trapped and

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sent to Thailand and Myanmar for the purposes of committing cyber fraud/honey trapping and the U.S. citizens were the main targets. Various agents were at work for the purposes of recruitment and the victim Abdullah Kausar has specifically named the appellant and the manner in which he was lured into such illegal network. The appellant had given his confessional statement and various incriminating articles were recovered from his possession. The money transaction between the appellant and the co-accused Daud finds place at paragraph 91 of the Case Diary. Though the appellant claims that he was a registered recruiting agent, but paragraph 85 of the Case Diary reveals otherwise.

7. The dubious role of the appellant has surfaced in course of investigation in ensnaring and inducing persons who are in search of jobs and getting them involved in committing cyber fraud and honey trapping. In view of the nature of allegations levelled against the appellant, we are not inclined to interfere in the impugned order 28-03-2026 passed in Misc. Criminal Application No. 459/2026 arising out of Cyber Crime P.S. Case No. 158/2025 by the learned Additional Judicial Commissioner-II-cum-Special Judge I/c, Cyber Crime and Drugs and Cosmetics, Ranchi and consequently, this appeal stands dismissed.

(RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY, J.)

(ARUN KUMAR RAI, J.)

Dated: 04^th August, 2026 Preet/-

Uploaded on: 04 /08/2026.

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