Mumbai Court Grants Bail to Businessman in Rs 8.6 Crore Digital Arrest Scam
The Mumbai Sessions Court has granted bail to a Nashik-based businessman arrested by the Cyber Police Station (West Division) in Mumbai in connection with an Rs 8.60 crore "digital arrest" scam. The court ruled on July 17, 2026, that the businessman's prompt reporting of his lost bank credentials and subsequent suspicious transactions served as a strong mitigating factor.
The accused, Ankush More, is the proprietor of M/s Sunfire Energy, M/s Miracle Enterprises, and Sanctifies Technology. He was arrested in connection with a case registered on January 23, 2025, following a complaint by victim Madhu Bajaj. Bajaj alleged she was defrauded of Rs 8.60 crore between December 12 and December 16, 2024.
During the investigation, the Cyber Police traced a money trail showing that Rs 90 lakh of the defrauded amount had been transferred to the bank account of More's company before being siphoned off to other accounts.
More's defense lawyers, Priyanka Dubey and Shirish Desai, argued that their client was not involved in the transaction. They stated that More had partnered with an absconding accused, Abhishek Gite, for business purposes in late 2024. Gite had requested More's bank details for collaboration but later claimed his clerk lost the account documents.
Upon learning of the loss, More filed a complaint with the Gangapur Police Station in Nashik on December 9, 2024, and blocked his debit card. When he noticed unauthorized transactions on December 17, 2024, he immediately alerted ICICI Bank and registered another formal complaint with the Gangapur Police on December 21, 2024. More maintained that he did not withdraw or utilize any of the Rs 90 lakh.
The prosecution opposed the bail, claiming More had handed over his credentials to cybercriminals in exchange for a commission, pointing to five complaints registered against his account on the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal.
However, the court found More's defense believable, noting that he had proactively approached both his bank and the police to report the lost documents and suspicious transactions before the victim's complaint was even filed.
