YouTuber Bobby Kataria was licking the dust of jail for 20 months, now relief in human trafficking case

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 13, 2026

YouTuber and social media influencer Bobby Kataria alias Balwant Singh has been granted regular bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a human trafficking case. Earlier, on July 20, 2024, the court of Special Judge (NIA) located in Panchkula had rejected his bail application. On February 12, the High Court granted relief on the appeal filed challenging that decision.

Bobby Kataria was in custody for one year and eight months

Bobby Kataria was in custody as an undertrial for more than a year and eight months. During the hearing, the defense told the court that till now only 23 out of 73 prosecution witnesses have been cross-examined, due to which the trial is likely to get prolonged. Keeping this fact in mind, the High Court considered it appropriate to grant bail.

Order to release on regular bail

The court also noted that there were no other criminal cases pending against him at the time of the hearing. The order said that the accused should be released on regular bail, provided he deposits the bail bond to the satisfaction of the trial court/duty magistrate and deposits a demand draft of the prescribed amount in the Special Court (NIA), Panchkula, within two days.

What is the whole matter?

This case was first registered by the Haryana Police, which was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and re-registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Immigration Act. It is alleged that Bobby Kataria extorted money from many people on the pretext of getting them a job abroad. They are also accused of sending some people to South-East Asian countries, where they were allegedly forced to work in exploitative conditions. During the hearing, the defense counsel told the court that his client is ready to deposit the entire amount of Rs 19,67,000 received from the complainants. After this decision of the High Court, Bobby Kataria has got a big relief, although the hearing of the case will continue further.