Mumbai News: Himachal Woman Denied Anticipatory Bail In ₹11.55 Lakh Job Scam Case

The sessions court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a woman from Himachal Pradesh accused of cheating a man of Rs11.55 lakh on the pretext of securing him a job in Australia. The accused, Parul Rana, is also facing a separate extortion case filed by noted advocate Rajeev Ranjan

Alleged Job Scam

According to the prosecution, complainant Kapil Mehta met Rana in July 2024 while seeking employment after heavy business losses. Rana allegedly claimed she had contacts in Australia and could arrange a job offering Rs1.5 lakh monthly. Mehta transferred Rs1.45 lakh to Rana’s account, Rs10,000 to her sister, and also gave her Rs11 lakh in cash. After receiving the money, Rana reportedly stopped responding to his calls.

Defence Claim

Rana claimed she received the money on instructions from Rajeev Ranjan but denied taking cash herself. She further stated that she was in a relationship with Ranjan and worked alongside him.

The prosecution opposed her plea, noting that Ranjan too had lodged a case against Rana for extortion and cheating amounting to Rs2 crore.

Court Observations

While rejecting her bail plea, the court observed: “Prima facie, it appears that the amount received from the informant was accepted by the applicant for herself and not on the directions of Rajeev Ranjan.”

The court added that since two similar offences are registered against her at the Goregaon police station, granting anticipatory bail could enable her to influence or pressurise the informant. Rana’s separate bail plea in Ranjan’s case is still pending a hearing.