BOMBAY HIGH COURT TERMINATES SERVICES OF TWO TRIAL COURT JUDGES OVER MISCONDUCT:

The Bombay High Court has dismissed two Trial Court Judges, Additional Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam and Civil Judge Irfan Shaikh, on charges of misconduct and corruption. The decision came following an inquiry conducted by a disciplinary committee constituted to investigate allegations of serious irregularities against the two judicial officers. The committee’s findings led the High Court to order their dismissal from service, marking a strong disciplinary action against judicial corruption within the subordinate judiciary.

According to the findings, Additional Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam, who served in Satara, faced allegations of bribery. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had registered a case against him for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 5 lakh in exchange for granting bail in a cheating case. The complaint was lodged by a woman whose father, a civilian defence employee, had been arrested and was in judicial custody for allegedly deceiving someone under the pretext of offering a government job. After a lower court denied his bail, the woman moved a fresh bail application before the Satara Sessions Court, where the matter was heard by Judge Nikam.

The ACB’s investigation revealed that two individuals, identified as Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara, demanded Rs. 5 lakh from the complainant on behalf of Judge Nikam to secure a favourable bail order. The investigation conducted between December 3 and 9, 2024, verified that the demand was indeed made at Nikam’s behest. Based on this evidence, the ACB booked Nikam along with the two Kharats and an unidentified individual under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

In January 2025, Nikam approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that he was innocent and falsely implicated in the case. However, after considering the material on record, the High Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail in March 2025, observing that the allegations warranted a detailed investigation. The disciplinary proceedings against him ran parallel to the criminal investigation, and the inquiry committee eventually recommended his dismissal for gross misconduct and violation of judicial ethics.

In a separate case, Civil Judge Irfan Shaikh, who was entrusted with handling matters under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), was accused of indulging in corrupt practices and misappropriating narcotic substances seized during investigations. The allegations against him suggested that he tampered with evidence and misused his judicial position for personal gain. A petition relating to his alleged misconduct is still pending before the Bombay High Court, but the disciplinary committee found sufficient grounds to conclude that his actions amounted to serious misconduct, justifying his removal from service.

Following the committee’s detailed report, the Bombay High Court issued an order dismissing both judges from judicial service. The court observed that the integrity of the judiciary is paramount and that any instance of corruption or abuse of authority by judicial officers erodes public confidence in the justice system. The decision to dismiss the two judges underscores the High Court’s firm stance on maintaining the highest standards of judicial accountability and discipline within the subordinate judiciary.