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The case was registered on the complaint of an additional sessions judge, who alleged that he received calls from unknown numbers on February 18 and was asked to check his WhatsApp.
A Chandigarh court Monday granted bail to an advocate arrested in a case involving an alleged Rs 1.5 crore extortion attempt linked to a morphed and objectionable video circulated on WhatsApp, more than two weeks after a judicial officer reported the incident.
The case was registered on the complaint of an additional sessions judge, who alleged that he received calls from unknown numbers on February 18 and was asked to check his WhatsApp. The accused, a practising advocate based in Rohtak, was arrested on April 11, along with a co-accused.
According to the prosecution, mobile phones recovered from the accused included one device allegedly used in the commission of the offence and another in which the disputed video was found. The police relied on call detail records, Internet Protocol detail records and SIM ownership details to link the accused to the alleged acts.
Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution submitted that the accused had played an active role in blackmailing the judicial officer and demanding money, and argued that his release could hamper the ongoing investigation.
“A lawyer from Rohtak, accused of attempting to extort ₹1.5 crore through a morphed video, has been granted bail. The case gained massive attention after it was flagged by a high-ranking judge from Chandigarh. Following the judge’s alert, the police had arrested the lawyer for using deepfake or morphed content to blackmail the victim. However, the court has now granted him conditional bail as the investigation continues.”
