In a shocking development, a district and sessions judge in Maharashtra’s Satara has been named in an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹5 lakh in exchange for granting bail in a financial fraud case. The judge, along with three accomplices, has been charged under multiple sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the new penal code BNS.
According to Deputy SP Dayanand Gawade of ACB’s Pune unit, the accused judge and his associates face charges under Sections 7 and 7-A, which pertain to public servants accepting bribes, as well as Section 12 for abetment of corruption. Section 3(5) for common intention has also been invoked.
“We are initiating the process to secure Bombay High Court’s permission to arrest the judge,” an ACB official from Pune stated on Wednesday, as the investigation moves forward.*
The FIR outlines a brazen scheme in which one of the judge’s associates approached a Pune woman, whose father is implicated in a financial fraud case, offering a “favorable bail order” in exchange for ₹5 lakh.
On December 9, the woman reportedly traveled to Satara to negotiate the deal. The meeting, which allegedly took place near the court complex, was attended by the judge and two middlemen.
Following their discussions, the judge allegedly directed two middlemen to collect the bribe from the woman at a hotel. However, the woman insisted on handing over the money only to the person who arranged her meeting with the judge, raising suspicions that ultimately led to the ACB’s involvement.
The ACB has intensified its investigation, focusing on obtaining permission from the Bombay High Court to arrest the judge, a necessary procedural step given his official position.
