The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to the Thakur brothers in connection with the Tadoba Scam. The brothers, accused in the fraud case involving the Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve, were seeking bail after being charged with a significant online ticketing fraud amounting of Rs. 12.15 crore. Despite their plea, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to deny them bail, further extending their legal proceedings related to the scam.
Delhi: The Supreme Court bench, led by Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Augustine George Masih, declined the anticipatory bail plea of the Thakur brothers, who are accused of online ticketing fraud of Rs. 12.15 crore online at the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
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Rohit and Abhishek Thakur, residents of Chandrapur, had sought anticipatory bail in connection with a case filed against them at the Ram Nagar Police Station in Chandrapur. The charges against them include Sections 420, 406, and 409 of the IPC.
The High Court rejected their plea, taking into account their significant involvement in the fraudulent activity, which involved embezzlement of funds, manipulation of digital records, and the discovery of the forest department’s fraud.
Background
Rohit and Abhishek, who are partners at Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS), had entered into an agreement with the TATR Conservation Foundation for online jungle safari bookings on December 10, 2021. Allegations suggest that they violated the terms of the agreement, resulting in the forest department being defrauded of over Rs. 12.15 crore, as revealed during an audit.
Thakur brothers were represented by senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy and counsel GS Kidambi, while Kartik Shukul, assisted by Abhikalp Pratap Singh, represented the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) Conservation Foundation.
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After the rejection of their bail application by a single bench, presided over by Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on January 22, 2024, the brothers filed a special leave petition( SLP) in the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to deny them bail, further extending their legal proceedings related to the scam.
