Delhi court denies bail to man accused of duping Haryana judge of Rs 52L

Delhi's Patiala House Court denied bail to Deepak Vats, accused of duping a Haryana judge of Rs 52 lakh. The court cited the gravity of the cyber fraud, Vats's criminal history, and ordered a detailed investigation into the case.

Court Denies Bail Citing Gravity of Offence

The Patiala House Court on Friday denied bail to Deepak Vats, who was arrested on May 15 for allegedly duping Rs 52 lakh from a serving Haryana-based judicial officer. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler dismissed the bail plea on June 9, citing the gravity of the offences, the accused's refusal to provide his mobile password, and his existing criminal history.

"In view of the foregoing discussion, findings, and observations, the present 1st Bail Application filed by the accused Deepak Vats is dismissed," ASJ Laler said on June 9.

Detailed Investigation Ordered

In a detailed order, the court directed the investigating officer to file a compliance report within four weeks, mandating the securing of full WhatsApp chat histories between the victim and the accused, and formally requesting Tinder account data for both the judge and her domestic worker, obtaining booking records and CCTV footage from "Drishtti Dreamscapes" in Saket to verify the accused's claims of physical meetings in December 2025 and January 2026. The court also asked officers to investigate the roles and fund trails regarding entities "Lakshyatatabux Technologies" and "Shopperoo Vault Private Limited," which received large sums from the accused and recording the full statement of the judge's peon, "Ashish," regarding a Rs 5 lakh cash deposit made at the Axis Bank Narnaul branch on January 13, 2026, and documenting the judge's own statement on the source of these funds.

Case Background

The investigation, initiated by the Delhi Police's IFSO unit, revealed that the FIR was originally registered on February 2, 2026, based on a complaint by Diksha Devi, a domestic worker employed by the judge. An FIR was registered by Delhi Police Special Cell's special Unit IFSO under Section 308, 318(4), 319 and 340 BNS, 2023. Subsequent scrutiny confirmed that while the complaint was filed by the maid, the funds originated primarily from the accounts of the Haryana judge, identifying her as the actual victim.

Conflicting Narratives Emerge

Accused Claims Consensual Relationship

According to the accused, he and the judge connected on the dating application app, where he claimed she initiated contact under the profile "Altruistic Joy." Vats asserted that the financial transfers were voluntary and intended for online gaming and entertainment, claiming the legal complaint arose only after their relationship soured.

Prosecution Alleges Pre-Planned Fraud

Conversely, the prosecution alleges a pre-planned cyber fraud wherein Vats posed as "Abhimanyu Vashishth," a purported official in a secret government department, to lure the victim with promises of high investment returns. Officials noted that of the Rs 52,81,999 total, Rs 31.50 lakh was transferred directly, Rs 16,31,999 was routed via credit card transactions, and Rs 5 lakh was deposited in cash.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)