Mumbai, Oct 4: The Bombay High Court has dismissed two lower court judges for misconduct and corruption, citing behavior unbecoming of judicial officers.
The judges removed include Additional Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam and Civil Judge Irfan Shaikh, following an inquiry by a disciplinary committee. Nikam faced allegations of bribery, while Shaikh, who presided over NDPS Act cases, was accused of corruption and misappropriating seized narcotics. A petition against Shaikh is still pending before the high court.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had registered a case against Nikam, a Satara district and sessions judge, for allegedly demanding Rs 5 lakh to grant bail in a cheating case. The complaint was lodged by a woman whose father, a civilian defence employee, was in judicial custody for allegedly cheating someone under the pretext of offering a government job.
During investigations from December 3 to 9, 2024, the ACB found that Nikam, in collusion with Kishor Sambhaji Kharat (Mumbai) and Anand Mohan Kharat (Satara), sought the bribe from the complainant for a favourable order. Nikam, the Kharats, and an unidentified individual have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The high court ordered their dismissal on Friday, marking a stern warning against corruption within the judiciary and underscoring the commitment to maintain integrity in the legal system.