Bombay High Court directs HDFC Bank to provide CCTV footage in bribery case involving District Judge

The Bombay High Court recently ordered a branch of the HDFC Bank in Satara to provide CCTV footage from December 9, 2024, to a District and Sessions Judge implicated in a bribery case [Dhananjay Nikam v State of Maharashtra]..The Court was told that the footage could support the prosecution's claim that an incriminating conversation took place between the accused judge and the complainant while they were traveling towards HDFC Bank in a car.The accused judge had sought a copy of this footage while pressing for anticipatory bail. The bank, however, said that it could not hand over such confidential information without a court order.On January 15, Justice NR Borkar directed the HDFC Bank to provide the footage from its Mutha Colony branch.The footage is to be handed over to the accused district judge within one week of receiving the court order."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 order read. .Nikam, 46, has been booked by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly soliciting a ₹5 lakh bribe in exchange for granting bail in a cheating case.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 Nikam's behalf. The ACB claims their investigation confirmed that Nikam, in collusion with the Kharats, sought the bribe. .In his anticipatory bail petition, Nikam vehemently denied the accusations, asserting that he was being falsely implicated. He argued that the first information report (FIR) lacked evidence of any direct demand or acceptance of money by him and emphasized that he had no knowledge of the meetings between the complainant and the alleged intermediaries. Nikam’s defense also pointed out that he was on leave or deputation during the dates in question and had not issued any bail orders at the time. Furthermore, his plea argued that he did not avoid hearing the bail application nor make any promises of favorable orders. The Court will hear the matter next on January 27, 2025.Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi along with advocates Jayant Bardeskar, Barsha Parulekar instructed by advocate Vresh Purwant appeared for the applicant/ accused judge, Dhananjay L Nikam.Additional Public Prosecutor Veera Shinde appeared for the State..[Read Order]