The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a chargesheet against city-based advocate Jatin Salwan, who was arrested in a corruption case this August.
The CBI had registered an FIR against Salwan and his aide, Satnam Singh, on August 16, over allegations of demanding ₹30 lakh bribe to secure favourable judicial orders in a divorce case pending before a Bathinda court.
The chargesheet has been filed under Sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 7-A of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, (as amended in 2018). The case has now been adjourned to October 23.
As per the chargesheet, Salwan had approached the woman (petitioner in the divorce case) with a demand of ₹30 lakh as bribe, claiming influence with a judicial officer and promising favourable order. It was stated that the advocate’s claim that he was merely quoting his professional fee, is “totally wrong and misleading” as no power of attorney or document has been produced to show that he was formally engaged by the woman in her divorce case.
The CBI chargesheet states that Salwan repeatedly referred to the names of three different judicial officers, demonstrating that he was “unscrupulously invoking and misusing the names of judicial officers for the purpose of demanding bribes, undue advantage irrespective of the technical jurisdiction”.
The CBI has stated that it is not a case of ordinary corruption, rather a “disturbing instance where an advocate, who is an officer of court, has demanded a sum of ₹30 lakh by explicitly citing his personal influence over judicial officers and by promising favourable orders through corrupt and illegal means”.
{{/usCountry}}The CBI has stated that it is not a case of ordinary corruption, rather a “disturbing instance where an advocate, who is an officer of court, has demanded a sum of ₹30 lakh by explicitly citing his personal influence over judicial officers and by promising favourable orders through corrupt and illegal means”.
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