Mumbai: A special NIA court has rejected arguments made by Sudarshan Darade, CEO of a Dubai-based forex firm accused in an international cyber fraud and human trafficking case, who claimed that photographs and videos of alleged victims show them “dancing and having fun” in Laos, and therefore suggest there was no trafficking or torture.
Darade had moved the court seeking a direction to the prosecution to furnish a complete list of un-relied documents and all photographs and videos linked to a WhatsApp group titled “Longsheng@LaosMainGroup.”
He also alleged that the prosecution was selectively using material from a seized pen drive in a “pick-and-choose” manner. The prosecution responded that the material had already been supplied with the chargesheet, and that the photographs and videos cited by the defence merely captured moments when victims were not engaged in forced criminal activities.
The defence further argued that the visual material undermined the allegations of trafficking and harassment, suggesting the victims were never coerced or mistreated. However, the court rejected this line of reasoning.
The court observed that the presence of some images or videos showing victims enjoying themselves cannot disprove the broader allegations. It held that even if victims appear to be happy in certain moments, it does not negate claims of trafficking or exploitation.
The court noted that according to the allegations, victims were taken to Laos, initially subjected to training for illegal activities such as online fraud and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes, and that during such periods it was possible they had occasional moments of normalcy or enjoyment.
Ultimately, the court ruled that such selective reliance on isolated photographs or videos is insufficient to conclude that the allegations of trafficking and torture are false, and rejected the defence contention.
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