Satara district sessions Judge, two others booked in ₹5 lakh bribe case

The ACB lodged a complaint against the Judge and two of his associates, Kishor Kharat and Anand Kharat, for demanding a bribe from the daughter of an accused for granting bail in a case in which he is currently lodged in prison

Sleuths of the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday booked Satara District and Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam and two of his associates for allegedly demanding ₹5 lakh bribe for a favourable decision on the bail plea of an accused.

According to the Satara police, the 24-year-old daughter had lodged a case against the trio along with another unidentified person for demanding bribes from her on December 3, December 9 and December 10. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The ACB lodged a complaint against the Judge and two of his associates, Kishor Kharat and Anand Kharat, for demanding a bribe from the daughter of an accused for granting bail in a case in which he is currently lodged in prison. The Satara police have invoked sections 12, 7 and 7 A under the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 3(5) against the accused.

According to the Satara police, the 24-year-old daughter had lodged a case against the trio along with another unidentified person for demanding bribes from her on December 3, December 9 and December 10. In her statement, the complainant accused Anand and Kishore Kharat in a secret agreement with Judge Nikam demanding ₹5 lakh as money for granting bail to her father whose bail application was filed before the district sessions court.

“The woman complainant’s father was arrested in a cheating case in October this year and is currently in judicial custody with his bail application pending before judge Nikam,” the complaint filed said.

“During the verification of the complaint, it came to light that Judge Nikam, through the Kharats and an unidentified person, allegedly sought ₹5 lakh from the complainant and attempted to accept it through the two accused,” it added.

On December 9, the judge presiding over her father’s bail application came to visit her outside the courtroom after court hours. She even sat inside the car where the bail issue was discussed in the presence of Kharats. According to the statements recorded before Deputy SP Anil Katake, on December 10, the two approached her asking for a ₹5 lakh bribe at the judge’s directions and attempted to obtain it.

(with agency inputs)