A Delhi court official has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly demanding and receiving massive bribes—running into crores of rupees—from accused individuals seeking bail in a multi-crore GST evasion case. The bribes were allegedly solicited on behalf of a sessions judge who, until recently, presided over a special CBI court at Rouse Avenue. The judge has since been transferred, though authorities have yet to establish direct involvement.
The accused staffer, identified as Mukesh, served as ahlmad (record keeper) in Court Room No. 608. An FIR filed on May 16 names both Mukesh and a chartered accountant, Vishal, who is alleged to have paid Rs 40 lakh to secure bail for one of the accused in the case.
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government began its investigation following a complaint in January by Prasoon Vashishtha, an advocate and the brother-in-law of Babita Sharma—one of the accused in the GST case. Sharma had been arrested in August 2023 and had applied for bail in the sessions judge’s court.
According to the FIR, Vashishtha alleged that in October last year, court officials approached him with an offer to secure bail in exchange for a large sum. “They called me into the room adjacent to Court No. 608 and demanded Rs 85 lakh for Ms. Sharma and Rs 1 crore each for three co-accused—Raj Singh Saini, Mukesh Saini, and Narendra Saini,” Vashishtha claimed in his complaint.
When the family refused to pay, Sharma’s bail application was allegedly delayed without reason and ultimately dismissed. Vashishtha further alleged that Raj Singh Saini later told the family he had secured bail by paying a bribe and advised them to do the same.
Sources familiar with the case revealed even more troubling allegations: “The complainant claimed the judge warned that Sharma would be made to stand for hours in court and would suffer irreparable loss if the payment was not made,” one official said.
Audio Recordings Spark Deeper Inquiry
The case gained further traction when another accused in the same GST case, Vikesh Kumar Bansal, submitted an audio recording to the ACB. The recording allegedly captured Mukesh demanding Rs 15–20 lakh per accused for granting regular bail. Bansal, who was already on interim bail granted by the Delhi High Court, said he was summoned to the court where Mukesh made the demand.
Bansal also claimed that co-accused Vishal had confirmed he had paid Rs 40 lakh for bail. According to Bansal, Vishal further revealed that the Saini brothers had paid Rs 1 crore each, two transporters had paid Rs 15 lakh each, and two other individuals—including one named Manoj—had paid Rs 10 lakh each.
Three transcripts of the audio recordings were prepared in the presence of a panch witness and submitted to the Department of Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs on January 29. The evidence prompted the ACB to request prosecution sanction against the sessions judge from the Delhi High Court.
High Court Declines Sanction, But Leaves Door Open
On February 13, the Delhi High Court denied permission to prosecute the judge, stating that the current evidence was insufficient to warrant legal action against a judicial officer. However, the court allowed the ACB to continue its investigation and stated that a fresh request could be made if more material implicating the judge comes to light.
Meanwhile, the judge was transferred from the special CBI court at Rouse Avenue on May 20, in what many see as a precautionary measure during the ongoing probe.
