W.ALTHAF THASIF Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Criminal Original Petitions in have been filed by the respondent in Crl.M.P.No.91 of 2025 and the first respondent in Crl.M.P.No.341 of 2025, challenging the common order passed by the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) (TNPID) Act, 1997, Chennai in Crl.M.P.No.91 of 2025 and Crl.M.P.No.341 of 2025 dtd. 12/9/2025, whereby, the Trial Court has cancelled the bail granted to him vide order dtd. 12/2/2024 in Crl.M.P.No.427 of 2024.

(2.) The petitioner in Crl.M.P.No.91 of 2025 is the Investigating Officer of Crime No.1 of 2024 on the file of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, EOW, Vellore District. The petitioners in Crl.M.P.No.341 of 2025 are the victims of the very same crime number. It is alleged that the petitioner/Althaf Thasif was earlier granted default bail by the Trial Court in Crl.M.P.No.427 of 2024, dtd. 12/2/2024 with certain conditions, since the same is violated, petitions in Crl.M.P.No.91 of 2025 and Crl.M.P.No.341 of 2025 have been filed seeking cancellation of bail and the same was allowed by an common order dtd. 12/9/2025 by the learned Special Judge under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishment) Act, 1997. Challenging the cancellation of bail order, the bail petitioner has filed the present petitions seeking to set aside the same.

(3.) The case of the prosecution is that the petitioners by joining hands with other accused flouted various unregistered chits in the name of APR Groups in and around the areas of Cheyyar, Vandavasi, Mangal, Venpakkam, Kattupakkam and other places. They collected huge amount from the depositors to the tune of more than Rs.100.00 crores and subsequently failed to return the chit amounts, which resulted in registration of the above crime number and the petitioner/Althaf Thasif was arrested on 11/11/2023. Thereafter, he was granted statutory bail in Crl.M.P.No.427 of 2024, dtd. 12/2/2024 with certain conditions and thereafter the said condition was modified by an order dtd. 13/3/2024 in Crl.M.P.No.661 of 2024. Apart from that, another case in Crime No.239 of 2023, on the file of the Pochampalli Police Station has also been registered with regard to the cheating of 59 depositors. Crime No.239 of 2023 and the present case in Crime No.01 of 2024 being investigated by the EOW, Tiruvannamalai, hence there was a delay in concluding the investigation. In the meantime, the petitioner herein was granted default bail. After released on default bail, the petitioner joined hands with his wife have continuously involved in collection of funds and committed similar offences. The list of persons who have cheated subsequently has also been named in the petition.