Jharkhand High Court denies bail to man for ‘gender-based’ attacks on female MLA using fake digital ID

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Written by: Jagriti Rai4 min readNew DelhiApr 21, 2026 07:00 AM IST The Jharkhand High Court was hearing a bail plea of a man accused of cybercrime against sitting female MLA. (Image generated using AI) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT The Jharkhand High Court has rejected the bail plea of a man accused of using a fabricated digital identity to launch abusive and gender-based attacks against a sitting female Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary was hearing a plea of a man seeking bail in connection with a cybercrime case. “After hearing the counsel for the parties and considering the seriousness of the offence as indicated by the counsel for the state, this court is not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail,” the court said on April 17. The petitioner, Sahadev Uraon, approached the court seeking bail in connection with a cybercrime case. He has been in custody since September 6, 2025, facing charges under Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 78 (stalking), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 356 (2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Sections 66(c) (punishment for identity theft) and 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Sidhartha Roy submitted that the petitioner was in custody in connection with the case since September 9, 2025, and he has been falsely implicated in this case. He further submitted that the SIM and the mobile phone were recovered from his possession. Most of the Sections are bailable in nature, he stated. He argued that the maximum punishment which has been imposed under Section 75 (1) (iv) is one year. Representing the state, assistant public prosecutor Sunil Kumar Dubey opposed the bail plea and submitted that it appears that the accused petitioner used a fabricated digital identity to target a female politician who is none other than a sitting MLA. He further submitted that the deliberate use of anonymity to launch abusive and gender-based attacks aggravates the seriousness of the allegations. He argued that the conduct of the petitioner strikes at the dignity of a person. He stated that another FIR is arising out of the same offence in which the petitioner has been enlarged on bail by the sessions court. The court observed that the gravity of the allegations outweighed the arguments for release. Regarding the petitioner’s bail in a second FIR, the court clarified that its consideration was strictly limited to the present case. While denying the bail, the court issued a directive to the state to promptly produce witnesses to ensure the trial reaches a “logical end”. The court also ordered that the decision be communicated to the director of prosecution and the superintendent of police of the concerned district to ensure compliance with the trial proceedings. A new global security report released by Meta in February highlighted the growing sophistication of online scams, AI-enabled abuse, and criminal networks operating across social media platforms. The first half of 2026 adversarial threat report paints a worrying picture for India, which emerges as one of the major targets of international scam syndicates. The First Half 2026 Adversarial Threat Report released by Meta Platforms provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving global cyber-threat landscape and highlights how large-scale criminal networks are increasingly exploiting social media platforms to conduct scams, spread misinformation, and facilitate illegal activities. The report is particularly significant because it identifies India as one of the most frequently targeted countries by international scam networks, especially due to its large English-speaking digital population and rapidly expanding online economy. “We removed over 10.9 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, 600,000 Facebook Pages, and 112,000 Ad Accounts in 2025 for violating our policies against Fraud, Scams and Deceptive Practices and Dangerous Organisations and Individuals”. A major concern highlighted in the report is the growing role of artificial intelligence in cybercrime. AI is being used to generate realistic conversations, translate messages into different languages, and create entire fake business infrastructures, including websites, email correspondence, and digital documents, to make scams appear legitimate. Jagriti Rai works with The Indian Express, where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society. Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives. Expertise Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates. Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties. Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style. Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience. Academic Foundations: Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute. Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions. ... Read More