Paytm data theft case: Sonia Dhawan's family appeals for bail, next hearing on November 23

Three-weeks after her arrest, the family of Paytm's Sonia Dhawan has finally appealed for her bail in Surajpur District Sessions Court.

The development took place a day after the court rejected the bail plea of husband Rupak Jain last week. Jain was arrested along with Dhawan for allegedly being a part of an extortion plot.

While the family will have to move the Allahabad High Court now for Jain, Dhawan's hearing for bail will take place on November 23.

Also read: Paytm data theft case: Special court denies bail to Rupak Jain

The family had consciously taken a decision to file separate bail applications for them.

This is the first bail appeal filed by the family in the district court. Before this, they had appealed for bail from the chief judicial magistrate immediately after the arrest which was rejected.

Meanwhile, the district court on November 19, also extended the judicial custody of the duo by another 14 days.

Both Dhawan and Jain appeared before the district court via video conferencing.

Dhawan and Jain along with an admin resource of Paytm were arrested on September 22 for allegedly trying to extort a sum of Rs 20 crore from Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

While Dhawan, a long-time secretary of Vijay Shekhar and the Vice President, corporate communications of the online payments firm, was arrested from Paytm's office in Noida in October, her husband was arrested from the house.

Ajay Shekhar Sharma, brother of Vijay Shekhar had earlier told Moneycontrol that a person [Rohit Chomal] from Kolkata had tried to extort Rs 20 crore by threatening to leak out "some photos and personal financial details" of his brother.

Chomal had apparently taken the names of Dhawan, Jain and Kumar stating that they were the people behind the plot.