Thane, June 12: The Thane Sessions Court has granted bail to John P. Verghese, a Mira Road-based grocery shop owner who was arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 30 lakh fraud linked to a larger “digital arrest” cyber scam in which a retired school teacher was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.65 crore.
Bail granted by court
Additional Sessions Judge R.S. Bhakare, while allowing Verghese’s bail application on June 6, noted that the accused claimed he too had fallen victim to an online loan scam and that his bank account had allegedly been misused by cyber fraudsters.
Alleged scam details
According to the prosecution, the complainant, a retired teacher who also dealt in life insurance and mutual funds, received a WhatsApp call on December 18, 2025, from a man identified as Rajesh Mishra. Mishra allegedly posed as a police officer attached to Andheri Police Station and falsely informed her that she was a suspect in a case involving businessman Naresh Goyal.
The caller allegedly threatened the woman with a “digital arrest” and persuaded her to disclose details of her assets. Acting under fear and coercion, she allegedly transferred Rs 1.65 crore in multiple transactions to various bank accounts specified by the fraudsters.
During the investigation by Nayanagar Police, it was found that Rs 30 lakh from the defrauded amount had been transferred to Verghese’s bank account. He was subsequently arrested on February 12, 2026, and later remanded to judicial custody.
Defence arguments
Seeking bail, Verghese contended that he had no role in the fraud and was himself duped by individuals offering loans through advertisements on Facebook. His counsel submitted that the accused, a small grocery shop owner, was facing financial difficulties and had approached persons advertising instant loans online. As part of the loan process, he had shared his bank account details, but the promised loan was never sanctioned.
The defence argued that a sum was suddenly credited to and withdrawn from his account within minutes without his knowledge. Verghese claimed that upon noticing the transactions, he approached his bank for clarification but was allegedly threatened by the persons involved and warned against approaching the police.
Prosecution opposition
The prosecution opposed the plea, arguing that the offences were serious in nature and involved extraction of a substantial amount from the complainant through deception. It further contended that Verghese’s account had received Rs 30 lakh from the proceeds of crime and that his release could result in witness tampering or absconding.
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Court observations
However, the court observed that nothing had been recovered from Verghese and that the investigation concerning him had concluded with the filing of the charge sheet. The court also noted that he had no criminal antecedents and was a permanent resident of the given address.
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