PMLA court in Ahmedabad rejects bail of Kaashif Makbul Doctor in cyber fraud case

The Special PMLA Court in Ahmedabad has rejected the bail application of Kaashif Makbul Doctor, an accused in a major cyber fraud and money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on multiple FIRs related to cyber crimes. 

According to the prosecution, the accused, as part of a well-planned criminal conspiracy, cheated members of the general public through sophisticated cyber fraud methods. These included luring victims with promises of high returns on investments in forex trading, issuing threats via internet video and audio calls, sending fake notices purportedly from law enforcement agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Crime Branch, and banks, as well as forged notices of the Supreme Court, and placing victims under "digital arrest”.

The agency has alleged that the accused persons, generated proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs 104 crore (with the ED estimating the laundered amount to be around Rs 101 crore). These proceeds, derived from scheduled offences, were allegedly laundered by converting them into cryptocurrency, particularly USDT (Tether), to evade regulatory scrutiny.

The court noted the specific role attributed to Kaashif Makbul Doctor in the conspiracy. Statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA revealed his alleged involvement. Abrarkhan Nasirkhan Pathan, reportedly stated that Kaashif Doctor had opened a bank account in his (Pathan's) name at IDFC Bank, which was operated and monitored by Doctor himself, with all transactions carried out by him.

Nawaz Amin Jandira, allegedly told investigators that he used to arrange USDT for Kaashif Doctor in exchange for cash received from him. Additionally, WhatsApp chats and digital data recovered from the accused's mobile phone reportedly showed conversations related to USDT transactions and dealings in third-party bank accounts.

The ED has filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against five accused, including Kaashif and his father Makbul Abdul Rehman Doctor, in connection with the racket. The case involves multiple instances of digital arrests and extortion through fake legal notices.