Bombay High Court denied anticipatory bail to Satara district and sessions judge Dhananjay Nikam, accused of asking a Rs 5 lakh bribe in return for granting bail in a cheating case. The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is probing the charges.
The verdict was handed down by Justice NR Borkar, who, after hearing the case in camera because a judicial officer was involved, said, “I am not inclined,” while turning down Nikam’s request. The grounds for the verdict are yet to be specified in a written judgment.
The prosecution led by Additional Public Prosecutor Veera Shinde denied Nikam’s bail plea and instead stated strong evidence against bribery. On his part, however, Nikam, who had advocate Viresh Purwant advocating for him, asserted his innocence, citing no direct evidence regarding the FIR charges of him requesting or taking a bribe.
The bribe case had started against a civilian defence staff member who was charged with offering a government job fraudulently and had been denied bail by a lower court. Then the accused’s daughter made a new bail application to the Satara sessions court where Nikam would be hearing the case.
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According to the ACB, two individuals, Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara, allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from the woman on Nikam’s behalf to ensure a favourable ruling. Investigations conducted between December 3 and 9, 2024, reportedly confirmed the bribe demand and linked Nikam to the Kharats. Consequently, Nikam, the two Kharats, and an unidentified individual were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Nikam’s defense claimed that he was unaware of any contact between the complainant and the remaining accused. His petition also emphasized that he was either on deputation or leave on crucial dates, raising a doubt about the validity of the allegations. Also, his plea highlighted that he had not stayed away from hearing the bail application nor had committed to anything concerning its disposal, emphasizing that no such bail orders were passed between the concerned time.
With the inquiry still underway, the case continues to develop as officials strive to provide additional evidence of the accusations made against the judge.
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