Additional Sessions Judge Hauled Up In Bribery Case After ACB Arrests His Clerk While Accepting ₹15 Lakhs For Passing 'Favourable' Order

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday declared an Additional Sessions Judge as "absconder" in a case of demanding bribe to the tune of Rs 15 lakhs and has also arrested the judge's clerk for accepting the said amount for deciding a commercial suit in favour of the complainant.

As per a press statement, issued by ACB, Mumbai office, the complainant's commercial suit was listed before the court of Ejazuddin Kazi (55), the Additional Sessions Judge having the roster to hear commercial suits below Rs 10 crores value.

When the matter came to be listed before Kazi's court, one Chandrakant Vasudev, working as a clerk of the said court, contacted the complainant and demanded Rs 25 lakhs initially. The clerk told the complainant that from this amount of Rs 25 lakhs, he would keep only Rs 10 lakhs and the remaining share of Rs 15 lakhs is for the judge.

However, when the complainant showed reluctance, Vasudev reduced the amount to Rs 15 lakhs.

This amount was demanded in exchange of a 'favourable' order. The clerk, who was caught red-handed accepting the bribe, stated that he accepted the amount on instructions of the judge.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant lodged a complaint before the ACB, Mumbai unit and then the officers laid a trap and arrested Vasudev from the spot while he was accepting the money.

The ACB release stated that after accepting the bribe amount, Vasudev immediately called Kazi and informed him about the money he accepted and this too was recorded by the anti-corruption sleuths in their FIR.

Accordingly, a case under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act was registered against Vasudev and Kazi. And since Kazi has not been traceable, he was declared "wanted absconder" by the ACB.