Bombay High Court allows ACB probe into Mumbai judge in ₹15 lakh bribery case

The Bombay High Court has granted the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) permission to initiate proceedings against Additional Sessions Judge Ejazuddin Salauddin Kazi in connection with a ₹15 lakh bribery case..The authorization will lead to a probe into allegations that the judge along with his court clerk demanded money to deliver a favorable verdict in a commercial property dispute..The investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by businessman Sunil Ramachandran Nair, who is involved in a commercial suit regarding a property in Kurla.According to the ACB's remand report, the court clerk, Chandrakant Hanmant Vasudev, approached the complainant and demanded a bribe of ₹25 lakh out of this, ₹10 lakh was allegedly for himself and ₹15 lakh for Judge Kazi. The total bribe was later brought down to ₹15 lakh. .On November 11, the ACB laid a trap at a Starbucks in Chembur. Vasudev was caught red-handed accepting marked current notes as bribe.The clerk made a WhatsApp call to Judge Kazi in the presence of independent witnesses (panchas). During this call, the judge allegedly confirmed the transaction and instructed Vasudev to bring the money to his residence rather than discussing it further over the phone..Mumbai Judge, court clerk booked by ACB for ₹15 lakh bribe in exchange for favourable order.Following the trap, the ACB formally requested permission from the High Court Chief Justice on November 18 to proceed against the judge.The High Court’s vigilance department conveyed its approval on November 27, directing the agency to act in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.The ACB then summoned Judge Kazi to their office on December 8. Investigators have since recorded his statement, conducted a house search, and seized his mobile phone along with the SIM card for forensic analysis.Voice samples of the judge were recorded in the presence of his legal advisor to compare against the intercepted WhatsApp call..Meanwhile, the arrested court clerk, Vasudev approached a sessions court seeking bail. The ACB strongly opposed the same, arguing that releasing him would jeopardize the ongoing investigation against the judicial officer.However, the sessions court granted bail to him on December 19 upon furnishing bail bonds worth ₹1 lakh..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.