A Mumbai court clerk was arrested for taking a ₹15 lakh bribe in a land dispute case.
A sessions judge was named in the FIR, with evidence pointing to frequent contact with the clerk.
The ACB has sought High Court permission to investigate the judge, who is currently untraceable.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught a court clerk in Mumbai, Chandrakant Vasudev, who was accepting a bribe of ₹15 lakh to secure a favourable ruling in a land dispute case. The name of an additional sessions judge, Kazi, has also appeared in the FIR, and he is said to have been involved in the bribery. The complainant reportedly approached the ACB, after which the bureau called the clerk on 10th November, asking him to meet the following day to receive the bribe money, which led to the clerk's arrest.
As per ACB reports, an associate was attending court for a commercial suit on behalf of the complainant when he was allegedly summoned to the courthouse washroom by the clerk. It is reported that the clerk demanded a bribe, asking for “something” to be done for the judge to obtain a favourable order. Investigations also show that the clerk and the judge were frequently in contact with each other even after working hours. The ACB has alleged that the judge played an “active role” in the offence.
The clerk reportedly demanded a sum of ₹25 lakh, part of which was for the judge. The ACB has booked the clerk and the judge under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The clerk has been remanded to judicial custody after being produced before a special court. Since then, he has filed a bail application, which has been strongly opposed by the ACB, citing his close communication with the judge that could lead to witness intimidation and evidence tampering.
The ACB will be investigating a sitting judge, for which it has sought permission from the Bombay High Court. The bureau needs to follow the law by obtaining appropriate sanction or permission to question the judge. The ACB even went to the judge’s house to investigate, but it was locked, and he is now being treated as an absconding accused.
The case that led to the clerk’s arrest for bribery is a long-running property suit listed in the Mazgaon civil sessions court. The case was scheduled before the court where the clerk worked, and the dispute dates back several years. The probe was initiated based on the complainant's report of the alleged solicitation.
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