Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Friday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Naveen Temani in an alleged Rs 80 lakh cyber fraud involving an 83-year-old retired school teacher from Ajmer, while flagging a possible larger conspiracy in the case.Justice Sameer Jain heard the matter and assured the victim that she “will get justice”. During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Amit Jindal argued that only Rs 5 lakh, allegedly linked to the fraud, was traced to Temani’s account and said he was willing to deposit double the amount. The defence maintained that the main accused, Sovan Mandal, already in judicial custody, was responsible for cheating the bulk of the victim’s money. Opposing the plea, Director General of Police Rajiv Sharma told the court via video conferencing that the case points to a wider network and could involve multiple victims. “A Look Out Circular has been issued against the accused Temani and extradition proceedings are underway. In this situation, he should not be given any bail,” Sharma said. DIG (Cyber) Shantanu also opposed the plea. Public prosecutor Rajesh Chaudhary argued that any alleged compromise cannot dilute the seriousness of the offence, adding that 17 accused have already been arrested and the investigation is ongoing. The elderly complainant, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, was present during the proceedings. Earlier, the court had taken note of her condition and directed the state government to provide high-quality boarding and lodging in Jaipur, with expenses borne by the state, considering she lives alone in Ajmer and travels for hearings. The woman, however, declined the offer, saying she was managing on her own. The court was also informed that she felt compelled to accept Rs 10 lakh—far below her loss—due to the prolonged probe. Observing that the case had “shocked the conscience” of the court, the bench had earlier sought complete records and directed senior police officials to join proceedings virtually.
