Delhi judge transferred, court official booked as ACB probes bribe-for-bail case

The Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has taken action against a court official accused of accepting bribes for granting bail, registering an FIR against a court ahlmad on May 16 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and initiating further inquiries into the case, The Indian Express has reported.

The FIR comes in the wake of complaints alleging that bribes were demanded in exchange for bail orders in a high-profile case involving a GST officer and multiple others accused of sanctioning fraudulent tax refunds. While the Special Judge of the Rouse Avenue Court, who handled the bail hearings, has not been named in the FIR, he was transferred to another court on May 20, just days after the registration of the case.

The matter first came to light when the ACB wrote to the Principal Secretary of the Department of Law, Justice, and Legislative Affairs on January 29, seeking permission to investigate the Special Judge and the court ahlmad.

The request was based on complaints and audio recordings that allegedly revealed a pattern of corruption within the court, involving demands of large sums of money for favourable bail orders. The request was subsequently sent to the Delhi High Court, which, while refusing permission to proceed against the judge, citing insufficient material, allowed the ACB to continue its investigation.

Following the High Court’s directive, the ACB focused its efforts on the court ahlmad, who has since moved for anticipatory bail. During the bail hearing, his counsel alleged that the FIR was baseless and fabricated, while the prosecution maintained that he was the primary conduit for the alleged bribe transactions and that his release could jeopardise the integrity of the investigation.

The FIR also referenced the High Court Registrar's response, which stated that the investigating agency could renew its request for permission against the judge if fresh material emerges during the course of the probe. The ACB is said to have based its action on audio recordings and written complaints which reportedly detailed how bribes were solicited and how bail applications were allegedly manipulated or delayed when payments were not made.

According to The Indian Express, the first complaint was received on December 30, 2024, from a relative of one of the accused, who alleged that a demand of Rs 85 lakh was made for her bail and Rs 1 crore for each of the others. Another complaint received in January accused the ahlmad of offering to secure bail for three accused persons in exchange for Rs 15-20 lakh each.