Ahmedabad Court Rejects Bail In Fake Religious Booking Portal Scam
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A District and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad (Rural) has rejected the regular bail plea of a 23-year-old student arrested in connection with an alleged cyber fraud racket involving fake websites offering religious guest house and Dharamshala bookings.
The court cited the economic nature of the alleged offence and the fact that the investigation was at a crucial initial stage while rejecting Shailesh Saini’s bail application.
24 Fake Booking Websites Under Scanner
According to the case, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gandhinagar registered an FIR against unidentified persons on August 4, 2026, following allegations that 24 fake websites were operated between October 2025 and July 2026.
The websites allegedly collected advance payments from people seeking hotel and Dharamshala accommodation at various pilgrimage destinations. At least 12 complaints were reportedly received from victims across multiple states through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Investigators allegedly linked Saini to the operation, claiming that he had engaged co-accused Vikkykumar Gupta to create four of the fake portals.
Police Cite Digital Evidence
According to the prosecution, dummy SIM cards were used to communicate with victims, while payments were collected through QR codes linked to an online gaming platform.
Police also recovered digital evidence from Saini’s devices, including customer forms containing check-in details and WhatsApp conversations, the court was told.
The prosecution opposed bail, with Public Prosecutor P M arguing that releasing the accused could allow him to destroy or tamper with electronic evidence.
Defence Cites Delay In FIR
Saini’s defence counsel argued that he was innocent and pointed to an alleged 10-month delay in filing the FIR.
The defence also submitted that Saini had been preparing for competitive examinations and was only associated with the co-accused.
After considering the submissions, the court rejected the bail application, citing the nature of the alleged economic offence and the investigation being at a critical initial stage.
