The Bombay High Court directed HDFC Bank’s Satara branch to provide CCTV footage from December 9, 2024, to District Judge Dhananjay Nikam, accused of soliciting a ₹5 lakh bribe for bail. The footage is key to the bribery probe, with the judge denying all allegations, claiming false implication. The court ordered the footage be handed over within a week, and the matter will be heard next on January 27, 2025.
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MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court directed a branch of HDFC Bank in Satara to provide CCTV footage from December 9, 2024. This footage is to be handed over to a District and Sessions Judge who is facing allegations of bribery.
The prosecution argued that this footage might reveal a crucial conversation between the accused judge and the complainant while they were traveling towards the HDFC Bank in a car. The accused judge had requested this footage while seeking anticipatory bail. However, the bank stated that such sensitive information could only be released with a court order.
On January 15, Justice NR Borkar ordered the Mutha Colony branch of HDFC Bank to hand over the footage. The order specified that the footage must be given to the accused judge within one week of the bank receiving a copy of the court’s order.
The order explicitly stated:
“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the HDFC Bank, Mutha Colony, near Civil Hospital Sadar Bazar, at Satara shall provide CCTV footage dated 9.12.2024 to the applicant within a period of one week from the date of receipt of copy of this order.”
The accused judge, Dhananjay L. Nikam, aged 46, is facing charges filed by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding a Rs 5 lakh bribe in exchange for granting bail in a cheating case.
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According to the ACB, two intermediaries, Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara, approached the complainant and demanded the bribe on behalf of Nikam. The ACB claims their investigation has revealed that Nikam, along with the intermediaries, conspired to demand the bribe.
In his defense, Nikam has strongly denied the accusations. He has argued that he is being falsely implicated in the case. He stated in his anticipatory bail petition that the First Information Report (FIR) does not contain any proof of him directly demanding or accepting the bribe. Nikam also highlighted that he was unaware of any meetings between the complainant and the intermediaries.
Nikam further argued that during the time in question, he was either on leave or deputation and had not issued any bail orders. He stated that he did not intentionally avoid hearing the bail application nor did he make any promises regarding favorable orders.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 27, 2025.
Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi, along with advocates Jayant Bardeskar and Barsha Parulekar, under the instructions of advocate Vresh Purwant, appeared for the accused judge.
Additional Public Prosecutor Veera Shinde represented the State.
CASE TITLE:
Dhananjay Nikam v State of Maharashtra.
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