BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against two Chinese nationals, Hu Xiaolin (35) and Dong Xiaoning (31), residing in Bengaluru, under the provisions of the IT Act and IPC for defrauding investors by deleting the ‘Power Bank’ app from Google PlayStore after receiving investments.
“The contention urged by the petitioners that they are innocent of the accusations made in crime cannot be considered at this stage as the investigation is underway and it is for the petitioners to establish that they were not concerned with ‘Power Bank’ or, if concerned, explain under what circumstances the app was deleted from the Google PlayStore and that they did not receive any money invested by individual investors,” said Justice R Nataraj, dismissing the petition filed by the accused seeking to quash proceedings pending against them before the trial court in Tumakuru.
TH Manjunatha from Talemaradahalli in Pavagada taluk of Tumakuru district had complained to the Home Department about Power Bank’s offences. Attracted by Power Bank’s offer that for every hour of investment, he would get Rs 18, Manjunatha invested Rs 15,000.
He also claimed he and others invested Rs 12.96 lakh. But on May 10, 2021, the app promoters deleted the app from PlayStore. The home department found the petitioners’ involvement and sought a body warrant, as they were already accused in another crime registered by Razorpay with Cyber Crime Police Station, CID, in 2021.