Kohima, Sep 26 (IANS): All 45 Naga youth, who had been arrested in Chandigarh on May 15, as they were reportedly accused of duping American citizens by posing as agents of major companies, were granted interim bail on Thursday by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, officials here said.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in a post on the X said: “The 45 Naga youths who were in custody in Punjab have been granted bail. The Govt is making arrangements and facilitating their smooth return home. I congratulate the Advocate General Nagaland, Shri K N Balgopal and his team, and appreciate his efforts in ensuring their release.”
A Nagaland government official said that these 45 youths, including 10 women, were arrested on May 15 in Chandigarh under various sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Indian Penal Code.
He said that Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Rajesh Bharadwaj after three separate hearings granted the interim bail on Thursday.
During the proceedings, it was argued that none of the accused youth were beneficiaries of the alleged fraudulent schemes.
According to the official, the individuals had been employed at call centres operated by individuals from Gujarat and Maharashtra and were accused of sending fraudulent messages to foreigners and extracting money under various schemes.
The youths had been imprisoned for the last four months, with both the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) and the District Judge rejecting their bail pleas.
With their prolonged detention, the Nagaland Chief Minister intervened taking into account the hardship faced by the Naga youths.
The official said that the Chief Minister earlier instructed the state’s Advocate General to take swift legal action to secure their release.
Instead, the actual beneficiaries were businessmen from Gujarat and Maharashtra, none of whom had been arrested yet, the official said.
The prosecution, which claimed there were over one lakh victims, failed to produce any witnesses or conduct a thorough investigation, despite the availability of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and the US.
Representing the Naga youths, the legal team led by state’s Advocate General Balgopal, along with Advocates Paramjeet Singh Brar and Nitya Nambiar, argued for their interim bail.
The High Court acknowledged the lack of evidence against the accused and granted relief to all 45 individuals.
Throughout the case, the Chief Minister closely monitored developments to ensure the swift release of the Naga youths, highlighting the government's commitment to justice for its citizens.
The parents and relatives of the Naga youths have been requested to contact the Nagaland government to provide all information and cooperation for getting the Naga youth released, the official said.
According to media reports, these arrests occurred after the Punjab Police busted two fake call centres in Chandigarh.