Nagpur: A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Augustine George Masih on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Thakur brothers who have been charged with over Rs 12.15 crore online ticketing scam in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
Applicants Rohit and Abhishek Thakur from Chandrapur, had moved anticipatory bail application in connection with a crime registered against them with Ram Nagar Police Station in Chandrapur for offences punishable under Sections 420, 406, and 409 read with 34 of the IPC.
The brothers had filed a special leave petition in the apex court after a single bench comprising Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke at the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court rejected their bail application on January 22, 2024.
The High Court rejected the application considering their role in the crime having siphoned off a huge amount, fabrication of digital data, and the investigations revealing how the Forest Department was duped.
The applicants, who are partners of Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS), entered into an agreement with TATR Conservation Foundation for online bookings of jungle safari on December 10, 2021. As per allegations, the applicants contravened terms and conditions and duped the Forest Department by not paying over Rs 12.15 crore. The amount was arrived at during an audit.
The applicant brothers were represented by their senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy assisted by counsel GS Kidambi while the complainant Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) Conservation Foundation was represented by Kartik Shukul assisted by Abhikalp Pratap Singh.
