The Gujarat high court has granted conditional bail to a Surat doctor, who has been named as an accused in an alleged Rs 101 crore cybercrime case registered by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Surat.The said doctor, Makbool Abdul Raheman, has also been booked by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.Raheman had sought regular bail on the grounds that two co-accused in the case — his son Kashif and one Maaz Abdul Rahim Mada — had been granted the same, and that he had “no antecedents”.A single judge bench of Justice Nikhil Kariel, in an oral order on Tuesday (made available Wednesday), cited a ‘catena of decisions’ (series of judgments) of the Supreme Court in similar cases required the court to consider “three main factors” while granting bail: prima facie case, availability of the applicant-accused at the time of the trial and tampering or hampering with the witnesses by the accused.Considering the submission that the doctor had been in judicial custody since October 15, 2024, the court order stated, “The applicant-accused is not likely to flee. The applicant is a local and his presence can be secured at the time of the trial… Investigation is over and the charge-sheet has already been filed on January 5, 2025…”Also Read | Can ED seize assets related to non-scheduled offences under PMLA? SC to weigh inThe court granted bail to Raheman requiring him to execute a personal bond of Rs.10,000/- with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court as well as conditions including marking presence before the concerned Police Station once in a month for a period of six months between 11am and 2pm. The court also directed him to file an affidavit stating his immovable properties, whether self-acquired or ancestral, with description, location and present value of such properties before the trial court and to not leave India without the permission of the Trial Court, among other conditions.In November 2025, following the arrest of the doctor and the co-accused by the ED, the agency provisionally attached three immovable properties worth Rs 2.13 crore owned by him and his family members.Story continues below this adThe prosecution alleges that the doctor, along with the co-accused, committed a series of cybercrimes, including digital arrests, forex scams and issuing fake law enforcement notices to the gullible. The probe also revealed that the accused allegedly converted the proceeds of crime into cryptocurrency (USDT) through hawala operators.Earlier this week, a special PMLA Court in Ahmedabad rejected the bail application of his son Kaashif in the case. The ED has already filed a chargesheet in the case against five accused.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:cybercrimelegal news india