45 Naga youth, who had been arrested on 15th May 2024 under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, were granted interim bail today, the 26th September 2024, by the Hon’ble High Court. The individuals had been employed at call centers 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 Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, intervened, taking into account the hardship faced by the Naga youth. The Chief Minister instructed the Ld. Advocate General of the state to take swift legal action to secure their release.
The case was presented before the Hon’ble High Court, presided over by Hon’ble Justice Rajesh Bharadwaj, and heard over three separate hearings. During the proceedings, it was argued that none of the accused youth were beneficiaries of the alleged fraudulent schemes. Instead, the actual beneficiaries were businessmen from Gujarat and Maharashtra, none of whom had been arrested. The prosecution, which claimed there were over 1 lakh victims, failed to produce any witness or conduct a thorough investigation, despite the availability of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and the United States.
Representing the Naga youth, the legal team led by Ld. Advocate General K.N. Balgopal, along with Advocates Paramjeet Singh Brar and Nitya Nambiar, successfully argued for their interim bail. The Hon’ble High Court acknowledged the lack of evidence against the accused and granted relief to all 45 individuals, including 10 women.
Throughout the case, the Hon’ble Chief Minister closely monitored developments to ensure the swift release of the Naga youth, highlighting the government's commitment to justice for its citizens.