Delhi court dismisses anticipatory bail for not cooperating with the police

A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of cheating, stating that the police should not be restricted from conducting a thorough interrogation of the accused.

Accused Rishabh Sharma, alleged to have been involved in cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and forgery, had applied for anticipatory bail claiming that he was not the main offender in the case.

Judge Aparna Swami, who was presiding over the vacation session, cited the accused's lack of cooperation during the investigation as she rejected his plea while instructing him to cooperate with the investigation.

She emphasised that the police should have the authority to conduct sustained interrogation of the accused to gather conclusive evidence, particularly in a complex case like this where many facts are yet to be uncovered.

"Police power of investigation cannot be clipped by denying the opportunity of sustained interrogation of accused for conclusion of evidence, particularly in a case of this nature where several facts are still to be unravelled," she said.

The judge also acknowledged the seriousness of the offense, which involved a significant amount of money, and highlighted that the investigation was still in its early stages.

Furthermore, the court noted that the accused was not a permanent resident of Delhi and that the other co-accused in the case were still absconding.

The prosecution had opposed his bail application, citing his evasive responses and the discovery of Rs 3.44 lakh in his bank account out of the total amount of Rs 11 crore that was allegedly cheated.

The prosecution informed the court that the money was deposited by the accused's father, Prem Ratan Sharma, who was identified as the main accused and was arrested on May 4, despite the FIR being filed in 2019.