<p>New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain the bail plea of an advocate, arrested for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs 30 lakh for securing a favourable judicial order in a divorce case, saying he was "selling the judiciary".</p>.<p>"You (petitioner) tried to sell a judge in the open market," a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the counsel appearing for the petitioner.</p>.<p>After the bench showed its disinclination in entertaining the plea, the petitioner's counsel withdrew it.</p>.<p>The plea had challenged a February order of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/punjab-and-haryana-high-court">Punjab and Haryana High Court</a>, which denied bail to the petitioner.</p>.<p>During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said he was arrested in August 2025 and was in custody for last eight months.</p>.<p>The counsel argued that charges in the case were not yet framed.</p>.'Law prohibits bigamous relationship,' Supreme Court quashes rape case lodged by married advocate .<p>"He is selling the judiciary... We have no sympathy for such people," the bench observed.</p>.<p>The counsel argued that the petitioner was 70-year-old and was having health issues.</p>.<p>"At the age of 69, he is selling a judge in the open market," the bench said, adding it was not a simple trap case.</p>.<p>When the bench said it would dismiss the plea, the petitioner's counsel requested that he be allowed to withdraw the plea.</p>.<p>The bench permitted him to withdraw the petition.</p>.<p>The top court observed the high court had granted liberty to the petitioner to apply for bail afresh after two prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, were examined.</p>.<p>According to the FIR filed in August last year, the petitioner had allegedly demanded illegal gratification of Rs 30 lakh from the complainant for securing a favourable judicial order in a divorce matter pending before a court in Punjab.</p>.<p>It was alleged in the complaint that the petitioner had claimed to exercise his personal influence over a judicial officer and assured that favourable orders would be procured.</p>.<p>A trap was laid by the CBI during which a co-accused, who was allegedly acting at the petitioner's behest, accepted Rs 4 lakh from the complainant as part payment of the demanded bribe.</p>.Supreme Court judge recuses from case after prior counsel role comes to light.<p>The petitioner was arrested in August last year and a special CBI court in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/chandigarh">Chandigarh</a> had in September dismissed his plea seeking bail in the case.</p>.<p>Before the high court, the petitioner's counsel had argued that he was falsely implicated in the case and the FIR was a result of a motivated and malicious exercise of power.</p>.<p>The CBI's counsel had opposed his bail plea in the high court contending that the allegations were grave in nature.</p>
<p>New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain the bail plea of an advocate, arrested for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs 30 lakh for securing a favourable judicial order in a divorce case, saying he was "selling the judiciary".</p>.<p>"You (petitioner) tried to sell a judge in the open market," a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the counsel appearing for the petitioner.</p>.<p>After the bench showed its disinclination in entertaining the plea, the petitioner's counsel withdrew it.</p>.<p>The plea had challenged a February order of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/punjab-and-haryana-high-court">Punjab and Haryana High Court</a>, which denied bail to the petitioner.</p>.<p>During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said he was arrested in August 2025 and was in custody for last eight months.</p>.<p>The counsel argued that charges in the case were not yet framed.</p>.'Law prohibits bigamous relationship,' Supreme Court quashes rape case lodged by married advocate .<p>"He is selling the judiciary... We have no sympathy for such people," the bench observed.</p>.<p>The counsel argued that the petitioner was 70-year-old and was having health issues.</p>.<p>"At the age of 69, he is selling a judge in the open market," the bench said, adding it was not a simple trap case.</p>.<p>When the bench said it would dismiss the plea, the petitioner's counsel requested that he be allowed to withdraw the plea.</p>.<p>The bench permitted him to withdraw the petition.</p>.<p>The top court observed the high court had granted liberty to the petitioner to apply for bail afresh after two prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, were examined.</p>.<p>According to the FIR filed in August last year, the petitioner had allegedly demanded illegal gratification of Rs 30 lakh from the complainant for securing a favourable judicial order in a divorce matter pending before a court in Punjab.</p>.<p>It was alleged in the complaint that the petitioner had claimed to exercise his personal influence over a judicial officer and assured that favourable orders would be procured.</p>.<p>A trap was laid by the CBI during which a co-accused, who was allegedly acting at the petitioner's behest, accepted Rs 4 lakh from the complainant as part payment of the demanded bribe.</p>.Supreme Court judge recuses from case after prior counsel role comes to light.<p>The petitioner was arrested in August last year and a special CBI court in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/chandigarh">Chandigarh</a> had in September dismissed his plea seeking bail in the case.</p>.<p>Before the high court, the petitioner's counsel had argued that he was falsely implicated in the case and the FIR was a result of a motivated and malicious exercise of power.</p>.<p>The CBI's counsel had opposed his bail plea in the high court contending that the allegations were grave in nature.</p>