The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Satara District & Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam, who has been booked in a bribery case by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Nikam is accused of demanding a ₹5 lakh bribe to grant bail in a cheating case.

A single-judge bench of Justice N R Borkar, which heard the matter in chamber due to the involvement of a judicial officer, refused to grant relief. 

The judge had moved the High Court in January, asserting his innocence and claiming he was falsely implicated. Filed through advocate Viresh Purwant, his petition argued that the FIR did not establish a direct demand or acceptance of money by him.

It also contended that Nikam was unaware of any meetings between the complainant and the accused seeking bail and pointed out that he was on leave or deputation on crucial dates, casting doubt on the allegations.

According to the complaint, the complainant’s father, a civilian defense employee, was in judicial custody for allegedly defrauding someone under the guise of offering a government job. After his bail plea was rejected by a lower court, his daughter filed a fresh application before the Satara Sessions Court, where Nikam was set to hear the matter.

The ACB alleged that two private individuals—Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara—demanded ₹5 lakh from the complainant’s behest in exchange for a favorable order.

Their investigation, conducted between December 3 and 9, 2024, purportedly verified the bribe demand, linking Nikam to the alleged scheme.

As a result, the ACB booked Nikam, along with Kishor Kharat, Anand Kharat, and an unidentified individual, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In his petition, Nikam maintained that he did not evade hearing the bail plea or promise a favorable ruling. He further argued that no such bail orders were passed during the relevant period.