The Supreme Court bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyyan and Justice Manmohan, recently denied anticipatory bail to a Dunki facilitator, Om Prakash, who faces serious charges of facilitating illegal immigration and defrauding a complainant of ₹65 lakhs . The case revolves around claims that Om Prakash promised to assist the complainant in traveling to the United States but failed to deliver on this promise.

The bench reviewed allegations under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Denial of anticipatory bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court prompted Prakash to move the Supreme Court for relief, but the Apex Court also refused him relief considering the significant nature of the crime and “serious charges’’ against him.

The FIR mentions that Prakash had acted as an accomplice to a main accused, who misrepresented himself as an agent, assuring the complainant that he could facilitate a valid journey to the U.S. for ₹43 lakhs. The main accused had allegedly sent the complainant through a complex route via Dubai and other countries before reaching Mexico, where the complainant was caught by U.S. authorities on February 1, 2025. Subsequently, he was deported to India. Additionally, the complainant's father accused the petitioner of swindling him of ₹22 lakhs.

Noting the serious nature of the allegations and prior criminal record of Appellant Om Prakash, the High Court had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea. The court had noted that the investigations were in the nascent stage and stressed the need for a thorough examination before any bail consideration could be made, asserting that anticipatory bail should not be granted unless exceptional circumstances warrant such a decision.

Case Title: OM PARKASH vs. STATE OF HARYANA

SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRIMINAL) NO. 008965-/ 2025