The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted bail to four persons of a group accused of cheating a tourist after promising to organise a tour package to Kodaikanal. The accused persons gave an undertaking to the court to deposit ₹ 2 lakh each towards improving the infrastructure at a government school in Madurai.
Justice S. Srimathy granted bail with certain conditions to four accused in the case: Rahul Shah, Siva, Usama and Shavaj. The case of the prosecution is that the four petitioners and other accused persons misappropriated ₹3.48 lakh online representing themselves as tour organisers. They had claimed that they organise and arrange tour packages under the name Dream Gateway.
The accused were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on March 27 for offences under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code. The petitioners submitted they were employees working under the main accused. They claimed they were innocent and were not aware of the incident.
The State submitted that the investigation was not yet completed and opposed the bail petitions. However, the petitioners said that they were ready to deposit a sum of ₹2 lakh each to the Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School in Othakadai in Madurai.
The court directed the petitioners to make a non-refundable deposit of ₹2 lakh each, as per the undertaking, in favour of the Headmaster of the school who in turn was directed to spend the amount for purchasing benches and desks for the newly constructed classrooms under Namakku Naame scheme and file the necessary proof before the Judicial Magistrate concerned in Kodaikanal.
The court also directed the petitioners to report before the Kodaikanal police daily at 10.30 a.m. for one month and thereafter as and when required for interrogation.
