Today, On 17th March, The Bombay High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Satara sessions judge Dhananjay Nikam in a bribery case. Justice N.R. Borkar, a single-judge bench, denied relief after hearing arguments from both the accused judge and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The case involves allegations of bribery against Nikam, leading to ACB’s opposition to bail.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday denied anticipatory bail to Dhananjay Nikam, a Satara District and Sessions Judge accused of soliciting a Rs.5 lakh bribe in exchange for granting bail in a cheating case.
Single-judge Justice NR Borkar rejected the request after hearing arguments from both Nikam and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
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The proceedings were conducted in-camera, meaning they were not open to the public. Nikam, 46, was charged by the State ACB for allegedly soliciting the bribe through two intermediaries Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara.
According to the ACB, the Kharat brothers approached the complainant in the case and demanded the bribe on Nikam’s behalf. The investigation indicated that Nikam was complicit in the bribery scheme and had collaborated with the intermediaries.
In his anticipatory bail petition, Nikam vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them as false. He contended that there was no evidence directly linking him to any demand for a bribe or the acceptance of money.
Nikam also noted that he was on leave or deputation during the period when the alleged bribe discussions took place and claimed he had not issued any bail orders or promised any favorable outcomes.
Nikam also stated that he was unaware of any meetings between the complainant and the intermediaries.
In a prior hearing, the High Court had directed a branch of HDFC Bank in Satara to provide CCTV footage from December 9, 2024.
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This decision followed a claim that the footage could corroborate the prosecution’s assertion of an incriminating conversation occurring between the accused judge and the complainant while they were in a car heading toward the bank.
After thoroughly reviewing the arguments and evidence presented, the Court denied anticipatory bail to Nikam today.
Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi, along with advocates Jayant Bardeskar and Barsha Parulekar, instructed by advocate Vresh Purwant, represented Dhananjay Nikam.
Additional Public Prosecutor Veera Shinde appeared on behalf of the State.
Case Title: Dhananjay Nikam v State of Maharashtra
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