Coming as another blot to the image of judiciary, an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Gaurav Sharma was caught red-handed by Himachal Pradesh police late evening on Tuesday. The judge had been asking for bribe from an accused under Negotiable Instruments Act, whose case was pending in Sharma’s court.
The judge was arrested from his official residence and was produced in the district court on Wednesday. The court has sent Sharma on police remand for two days.
The accused apparently sought a bribe of Rs 40 thousand from the complainant, for early disposal of case against him. On being pressurised by the judge, the complainant sent his complaint to DIG Vigilance, who constituted a team to conduct the raid on Sharma’s residence.
The judge had given his mobile number to the complainant for informing him after arranging the bribe money. The Vigilance bureau had taken the consent of Himachal Pradesh High Court before conducting the raid at the judge’s residence but the action was kept completely secret.