A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Monday denied bail to a 19-year-old student in a Rs 3.7 crore cyber fraud case, saying he used his knowledge to facilitate the crime and his release may hamper the probe. Special CBI Judge BY Phad, while delivering the order, said, “The case prima facie involves a transnational racket with a sophisticated modus operandi, including the use of foreign phone numbers and the routing of crime proceeds through multiple mule accounts.”

The offence appears to have been committed in a well-organised manner, the court stressed. Yash Thakur, a Std XII student from Nagpur, was arrested on July 9. The main accused in the case, Bhaskar Palande, allegedly defrauded and cheated innocent persons and firms of Rs 3.76 crore through cyber fraud methods like digital arrests, customs fraud, and online financial fraud.