Dismissed¶18

Manjoor Alam v. CBI

Delhi HC17 Feb 2025BAIL APPLN./202/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Delhi High Court bail dismissal; Manjoor Alam v. CBI; BAIL APPLN. 202/2025; regular bail refused post-chargesheet; human trafficking; South East Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar); forced cyber-crime work; sex extortion/crypto scams; M/s Ali International proprietorship disputed; tenant vs owner claim rejected; flight risk; travel agency; NIA FIR; S.439 CrPC; S.483 BNSS 2023; Sections 120B/420/370 IPC; chargesheet 18/2024; arguments reserved for framing of charges.

What did the court decide?

Allegations against the petitioner are of a serious nature, and there is another FIR registered by NIA against him for human trafficking, so this is not the only such case against him. ¶12

Manjoor Alam Vs CBI — Cheating and Forgery | Delhi HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

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Issue for consideration

Whether regular bail should be granted to petitioner Manjoor Alam (allegedly involved, as proprietor of M/s Ali International, in the CBI human trafficking FIR RC.7(S)/2024-CBI/SC-I/New Delhi and chargesheeted under Sections 120B/420/370 IPC) under section 439 CrPC read with section 483 BNSS, 2023 at the post-chargesheet stage. +1 more

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Court's answer

Allegations against the petitioner are of a serious nature, and there is another FIR registered by NIA against him for human trafficking, so this is not the only such case against him.

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Ratio / Principle

The entire network is yet to be unearthed; the CBI investigation and other cases of human trafficking intended to commit cyber-crimes by Chinese controlled companies remain to be investigated.

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Key takeaways

The counsel's submission that M/s Ali International Services is only a tenant in a building owned by the petitioner cannot be accepted at this stage, being unsubstantiated by any lease deed or bank entries showing rent credited to the petitioner's account.ratio¶14
The victim, Mr. Saddam Ibrahim Sheikh, has already deposed that at Kolkata Airport he made a video call with the petitioner.ratio¶15
Prima facie the petitioner is having a travel agency, and there is a likelihood of him fleeing from the judicial process.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail dismissed — Human trafficking / cyber-crime scam network (CBI Case RC.7(S)/2024-CBI/SC-I/New Delhi; FIR under Sections 120B/420/370 IPC). Petitioner Manjoor Alam sought regular bail under section 439 CrPC read with section 483 BNSS, 2023 after chargesheet No. 18/2024 (dated 26.10.24) under section 120-B r/w 420 and 370 IPC was filed against him before Ld. ACJM-02, Rouse Avenue District Court. Counsel argued that M/s Ali International Services was merely a tenant in the petitioner's building, that the victim's return ticket was booked through the petitioner's travel agent, that investigation was complete, and that co-accused had been bailed. The court held: (i) the tenant plea was unsubstantiated (no lease deed, no rent bank entries); (ii) the victim had deposed to a video call with the petitioner at Kolkata Airport; (iii) prima facie the petitioner runs a travel agency and may flee the judicial process; (iv) allegations are grave, another NIA FIR for human trafficking pends against him, and the wider network and Chinese-linked cyber-crime investigations are incomplete; hence all submissions remain available at the charge-framing stage. Petition dismissed at this stage; observations confined to deciding this petition. (Jasmeet Singh, J.; 17.02.2025)

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$~8

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- BAIL APPLN. 202/2025&CRL.M.A. 1400/2025 MANJOOR ALAM

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.....Petitioner

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Through: Mr. R. Venkataraman, Adv. versus CBI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Ravi Sharma, SSP with Mr. Swapnil Choudhary, Mr. Ishann Bhardwaj, Mr. Sagar, Ms. Madhulika Rai Sharma, Advs.

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CORAM:

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASMEET SINGH O R D E R % 17.02.2025

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This is a petition filed under section 439 of CrPC read with section 483 of BNSS, 2023 seeking regular bail in CBI Case No. RC.7(S)/2024-CBI/SC-I/New Delhi.

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The facts are that the FIR has been registered under Sections 120B/420/370 of IPC on the basis of the information received from reliable sources regarding human trafficking in South East Asian Countries particularly Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc. The victims were offered lucrative jobs in Thailand, Dubai and Bangkok and when they reached the pre-destined countries, they were trafficked/ transported to South East AsianCountries where they are forced to work as Cyber criminals under threat and compulsion in Chinese

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This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/02/2025 at 12:33:43

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Control Cyber Crime Scam Centers.

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After investigation, chargesheet No. 18/2024, dated 26.10.24 under section 120-B r/w 420 and 370 of IPC and substantive offences thereof, against accused persons including the petitioner has been filed in the Court of Ld. ACJM-02, Rouse Avenue District Court, New Delhi.

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The investigation revealed that one victim namely Mr. Saddam Ibrahim Sheikh was contacted by co-accused Akhil and Sunny, who were employees of M/s Ali International, 167/7, 2^nd Floor, Sarai Jullena, Hanuman Mandir Gali, Near Surya Hotel, New Dethi-110025 and was offered a job in Thailand as a computer operation in gaming zone/ casino.

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Accordingly, on 28.01.2024, the aforesaid victim visited the office of M/s Ali International, where his passport in original was taken over by Sahil for related documentation. On the instructions of co-accused Sahil and Ashish, the victim made a payment of Rs. 1,40,000/- in 5 installments for the purposes of visas, tickets and other documentations. The victim reached the Kolkata Airport on 10.02.2024 where he met Firoz Ahmed i.e. the brother of the petitioner who returned the original passport to the victim and 15000 Thai Baht.

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Thereafter, the aforesaid victim landed at Don Muang Airport, Thailandon 10.02.2024, where he met Haider Zaidi and handed over 15000 Thai Baht to him. The victim was taken to Chang Rai immigration and transported/ trafficked to Laos. Thereafter, he was taken to golden Triangle, where he was made to work in Chinese companies involved in cyber-crimes.

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The victim was asked to create a fake profile in the name of a girl and

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/02/2025 at 12:33:43

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chat with Indian Nationals of prosperous backgrounds, specifically NRIs who are settled in USA and Canada and luring them into sex extortion, fakedating app, etc, where in return they sought money via crypto currency inthe name of the Chinese companies.

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The victim wanted to come back to India but was not permitted. The investigations have revealed that it is the petitioner who is the proprietor of M/s Ali International and the firm is involved in illegal human trafficking. The victim contacted Indian Embassy at Laos and thereafter, he was brought back to India on 18.04.2024.

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Mr. Venkatraman, learned counsel for the petitioner has argued his bail application primarily on the following grounds:-

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i. That the petitioner is not the proprietor/owner of M/s Ali International Services and M/s Ali International Services is only a tenant in the building owned by the petitioner, the same is fortified as none of the payment made by the victim has been credited into the bank account of the petitioner;

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ii. That the return ticket of the aforesaid victim was also booked by the petitioner’s travel agent.

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iii. Assuming without admitting that the petitioner is proprietor of M/s Ali International Services, investigation is over and chargesheet has been filed, hence, no purpose will served to the keep the petitioner behind bars; and

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iv. That the other co-accused have been enlarged on bail.

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1. Mr Sharma, learned SPP vehemently opposes the petition and submits that the offences committed by the petitioner is very serious in nature

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/02/2025 at 12:33:43

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and the investigation conducted by the CBI has revealed that the petitioner was directly involved in the human trafficking.

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I have heard learned counsel for the parties.

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In the present case, the allegations against the petitioner are of a serious nature and chargesheet has been filed under Sections 120B/420/370 of IPC. I am informed that there is another FIR registered by NIA against the petitioner on account of indulging in human trafficking, and hence, this is not the only case registered against the petitioner for human trafficking.

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The entire network is yet to be unearthed and the investigation of the CBI and other cases of human trafficking with intention to commit cyber-crimes by Chinese controlled companies are yet to be investigated.

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The submission of Mr Venkatraman, learned counsel for the petitioner that M/s Ali International Services is a tenant of the petitioner cannot be accepted at this stage as the petitioner has not substantiated the said argument as neither there is lease deed nor the bank entries showing the amount/rent credited to the account of the petitioner.

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Further, the victim Mr. Saddam Ibrahim Sheikh has already deposed that at Kolkata Airport, he made a video call with the petitioner.

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Prima-facie , the petitioner is having a travel agency and there is likelihood of him being fleeing from the judicial process.

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Lastly and most importantly, all the arguments raised by the learned counsel for the petitioner today are available to the petitioner at the time of framing of charges.

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For the said reasons, I am not inclined to entertain the present petition

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 28/02/2025 at 12:33:43

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at this stage. The same is dismissed.

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