Sessions judge booked in bribery case moves Bombay HC for pre-arrest bail

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked Satara district and sessions judge Dhananjay Nikam for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to grant bail in a cheating case.

Mumbai: A sessions court judge in Maharashtra has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking pre-arrest bail in a bribery case registered against him.

The state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked Satara district and sessions judge Dhananjay Nikam for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to grant bail in a cheating case.

A single bench of HC Justice N R Borkar on Wednesday said it would hear the plea in his chamber on January 15 as it involves a judicial officer.

Nikam, who filed the plea through advocate Viresh Purwant, said he was innocent and implicated in the case.

The petition said the FIR didn't show any direct demand or acceptance of money by Nikam.

It further argued that the judge was neither aware of meetings between the complainant and other accused nor that the complainant was related to the accused seeking bail.

Nikam was on leave or deputation on key dates, raising doubts about the allegations, the petition added.

As per the complaint lodged by a woman, her father, who is a civilian defence employee, is in judicial custody for allegedly cheating someone under the pretext of offering a government job.

After a lower court denied him bail, the woman filed a fresh bail application in the Satara sessions court, which was supposed to be heard by Nikam.

The ACB alleged that two persons -- Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara -- demanded Rs 5 lakh from the woman at the behest of Nikam for a favourable order.

The anti-graft agency claimed bribe demand was verified during their investigation between December 3 and 9, 2024, confirming that Nikam colluded with the Kharats to seek the bribe.

The ACB booked Nikam, Kishor Kharat, Anand Kharat and an unidentified person under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Nikam's petition said he neither avoided hearing the bail application nor made any promises of favourable orders. It also noted that no such bail orders were passed during the said period.