Jatinder Singh, the 37-year-old partner of Thevamanogari Manivel, a Melbourne woman who mistakenly received $10.5 million instead of a $100 refund from digital asset exchange Crypto.com, has been granted bail by the Victorian County Court.

Although Senior Constable Conor Healy argued that roughly $7 million had been recovered and Singh could flee with the outstanding balance, Judge Daniel Holding insisted on granting the bail.

Court Grants Singh Bail

Recall that an employee of the Singaporean exchange accidentally sent the money to Manivel’s bank account while processing a $100 refund for Singh’s crypto transaction. Although the incident occurred in May 2021, Crypto.com discovered it seven months later during an audit in December.

The exchange then contacted Manivel in February 2022 to request a refund. However, she had already moved $10.1 million to a joint account with Singh. The woman also bought a luxurious $1.35 million five-bedroom house in Craigieburn for her sister and spent a significant sum on art, gifts, vehicles, and furniture.

Eventually, Manivel transferred $4 million to an offshore account under her name and $1 million to an account under Singh’s name.

As CryptoPotato reported in August, Crypto.com commenced a legal battle against Manivel, seeking a return of the funds spent. During the court hearing, Manivel claimed Singh told her he won the money in a Crypto.com contest, hence the failure to return the funds.

Both Manivel and Singh pleaded not guilty to several charges brought against them, with the former bailed at the committal hearing while the latter remained in custody.

Judge Says Singh Cannot Flee Australia 

While authorities have recovered $7.3 million, $3.1 million remains outstanding, with $2.2 million still in the offshore account.

Despite opposition from Constable Healy and Prosecutor Peter Botros, who argued that it was easier for Singh to flee Australia as he had no job, stable residence, or family before his arrest, the judge ruled in favor of the bail.

Judge Holding insisted that Singh would be unable to flee the country since the bail conditions would require him to surrender his passport.