Madras HC grants anticipatory bail to Strata founder in email impersonation case
06 May 2025, 11:40 AMAccording to the case details, Strata CEO Sudarshan Lodha was accused of creating a fake email ID to impersonate a SEBI employee to obtain confidential financial information...
Arti Singh
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The Madras High Court has granted anticipatory bail to G. Sudarshan Lodha, the chief executive officer of Strata Property Management Private Limited, in a cybercrime case involving alleged email impersonation of a SEBI official.
Justice Sunder Mohan issued the order on April 22, allowing
Lodha to be released on bail in the event of arrest, subject to a bond of Rs 10,000
with two sureties.
According to the case details, Lodha was accused of creating
a fake email ID ([email protected])
to impersonate Richa Goel, a SEBI employee, to obtain confidential financial
information from a property development company.
The complainant company – which is warehouse developer
Avigna, according to sources – claimed they shared sensitive business
information believing the request came from an official source.
Investigation revealed that the IP linked to the fake email
was connected to Lodha's phone number.
The bail order copy reads: “The investigation revealed that
the E-mail ID through which certain information was sought for from the defacto
complainant did not belong to Ms. Richa Goel; that a fake E-mail ID was created
on 18.02.2020 and when the IP log details were collected from the concerned
service providers, it was revealed that the service provider ACT Fibrenet
network, which was used in the fake E-mail Id and the recovery E-mail ID shows
the same network; that the subscriber details and the recovery E-mail ID reveal
the phone number which belonged to the petitioner and thus, the petitioner has
committed the aforesaid offences and prayed for dismissal of the petition.”
However, the court noted that neither the prosecution nor
the complainant could specify what sensitive information was actually shared.
The court observed: "Considering the aforesaid facts,
this Court is of the view that custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not
required for the purpose of investigation."
The bail conditions require Lodha to report to police daily
for one week and as required thereafter, not abscond during investigation or
trial, and not tamper with evidence or witnesses.
The case stems from ongoing business disputes between
Lodha's company Strata and Avigna, with arbitration proceedings already pending
between the parties.
The story will be updated as and when Strata shares its response.
The author is Founder and Editor of The Head and Tale. She can be reached at
[email protected]
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