Delhi Court Denies Bail to Man in INR 52 Lakh Tinder Scam; Slams Judge for Filing FIR via Maid

A Delhi sessions court has denied bail to a man accused of defrauding a serving Haryana judicial officer of over INR 52 lakh through an alleged Tinder "honeytrap" scam. In a ruling issued by Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler, the court highlighted that the financial transactions precisely correlated with online communications, pointing to a classic online romance fraud pattern. The court also raised serious concerns over the fact that the First Information Report (FIR) was filed proxy-style under the name of the judge's domestic helper, rather than by the principal victim herself.

The accused, identified as Deepak Vats, allegedly connected with the female judicial officer on the dating platform Tinder in November 2025 while using the alias “Abhimanyu Vashishth” and posing as an operative from a secret government department. Tinder Dating Scam in Mumbai: 10 Friends Conduct Sting Operation, Bust Fraud Operating at Heaven Terrace 72 Cafe in Andheri; 8 Arrested.

False Identity and Financial Inducement

According to court documents, the accused initiated a romantic relationship with the judicial officer, who was reportedly using a pseudonymous profile named "Altruistic Joy". Over the course of their interaction, Vats allegedly induced her to make multiple financial transfers exceeding INR 52 lakh by promising lucrative returns on investments. In contrast, the defense argued that the transfers were voluntary payouts meant for online gaming and betting accounts for entertainment purposes. The defense further claimed that the legal action was a malicious fabrication filed through the maid after the consensual relationship soured following two physical meetings in Delhi.

Hidden Identity in the Complaint

A primary point of contention during the bail hearing was the structure of the initial criminal complaint. While the FIR was formally registered under the name of the judge's domestic helper, Diksha Devi, a financial trail audited by the Delhi Police Special Cell revealed that nearly all defrauded funds originated from the bank accounts of the Haryana judicial officer. The court criticised this indirect approach, emphasising that a member of the judiciary is expected to maintain absolute transparency. In his order, Judge Laler addressed the victim's conduct directly:

“A judicial officer – a person who is herself entrusted with the solemn duty of dispensing justice, of upholding truth before the law, and of expecting others who appear before her to present the complete facts – has chosen to approach this court obliquely, through her maid's name, rather than coming forward herself,” the court observed. The order further noted that "the path to justice requires candour" and urged the officer to step forward to place her unvarnished WhatsApp communications and Tinder history on the official record.

Procedural Gaps and Evidentiary Lapses

The sessions court was equally critical of the accused and the Delhi Police for structural deficiencies in the ongoing probe. Vats was accused of "playing hide and seek" with law enforcement by selectively presenting messages sent by the judge while withholding his own replies and refusing to share his mobile phone password. Simultaneously, the Investigating Officer (IO) faced reprimand for failing to aggressively secure fundamental cyber evidence, including call detail records, server logs from Tinder, and a financial audit of intermediate entities used to route the cash. Tinder Dating Scam: Mumbai Police File FIR Against Fraudsters Who Duped Techie Allegedly in Collusion With Godfather Club in Andheri West.

The court hinted that the police's slow movement might stem from an "institutional hesitation" to press a sitting judicial officer for sensitive personal data. Given the incomplete stage of the investigation, the large sum of missing funds, and the non-cooperative conduct of the accused, the court ruled that Vats must remain in custody while directing the police to fast-track forensic examinations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2026 10:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).