Mumbai: A 34-year-old caregiver accused of defrauding an 82-year-old retired IIT Bombay professor of nearly Rs 7 crore was granted bail. Nikita Vijay Naik was in judicial custody since June 2025. Additional Sessions Judge DG Dhoble observed that the continued detention of the accused would amount to “pre-trial punishment,” given that the investigation is complete and the charge sheet has already been filed.“The applicant is a woman having two children, and she has been in jail since her arrest, i.e., June 30, 2025. Considering the nature of allegations, facts, and circumstances of the case, and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the applicant deserves to be enlarged on bail,” the judge said.It was alleged that Naik, working as a domestic help for the elderly victim, took advantage of his visual impairment and isolation to embezzle Rs 6.93 crore between 2017 and 2025. The allegations included the misappropriation of Rs 1.03 crore from bank accounts, the theft of gold jewellery worth over Rs 8 lakh from a locker, and the fraudulent transfer of the professor’s share in three flats—valued at Rs 4.89 crore—via a registered gift deed. The police further claimed to have seized Rs 2 crore in cash from Naik’s bank accounts during the probe.Defending the caregiver, her lawyer argued that Naik was a victim of false implication. It was argued that the professor, a highly educated former academic, voluntarily transferred the assets out of “love and affection” because Naik cared for him during years when his own children allegedly deserted him. The defence said that until 2023, the informant was managing his own affairs and was of sound mind, suggesting the financial transactions were legitimate gifts rather than the result of coercion or fraud.The court, while considering the gravity of the financial fraud involving a vulnerable senior citizen, noted that the dispute over the property transfers and gift deeds was essentially a civil matter, which is already pending before a civil court. The judge referred to the legal principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception,” particularly for offences not punishable by life imprisonment or death. “One of the sons is a doctor by profession in Pune, and one of his daughters resides near his flat in the same vicinity. The alleged incident occurred during 2017 to 2025. The transaction of the flat is a registered one. The amount is transferred through the bank from time to time during the period…,” the judge said.In the order, the judge further said, “All allegations raised by the prosecution and submission of the applicant are required to be adjudicated during the course of the trial, and no final conclusion can be arrived at this stage.”Naik was granted bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 with strict conditions, including a prohibition on tampering with evidence or leaving the country without the court’s permission. The case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust, cheating, and theft.
