A special court in Mumbai on Friday granted bail to court clerk Chandrakant Vasudev, who was allegedly caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh. The bribe, according to the prosecution, was purportedly meant for Additional Sessions Judge Ejazuddin Salauddin Kazi, who has not been arrested in the case so far.
The Bail Order and Strict Conditions
This was the second bail application filed by the 40-year-old clerk-typist from the Mazgaon civil sessions court. Vasudev argued that he had already spent a month in judicial custody and that his further detention was not required for the ongoing investigation. The court agreed and ordered his release upon the execution of a personal bond and sureties amounting to Rs 1 lakh.
To ensure his immediate release, the judge allowed Vasudev to furnish a provisional cash bail of the same amount. He was given a three-week window to finalise the formal solvent sureties. In an unusual move to facilitate this, the court directed the Registrar of the Sessions Court to accept the cash deposit even after standard treasury hours had closed.
The bail, however, comes with a stringent set of conditions. Vasudev must provide permanent address proof and his mobile number to the investigating officer. Any change in these contact details must be reported immediately to both the IO and the court. He has been mandated to attend the ACB office in Worli every Friday between 3 pm and 5 pm until the chargesheet is filed. The court has also prohibited him from leaving the country without prior permission and ordered him not to make any inducements, threats, or promises to anyone connected with the case.
Chronology of the Alleged Bribe Demand
The chain of events leading to the ACB trap began on September 9. According to the agency's remand plea, a colleague of the complainant attended a hearing in a long-standing property dispute before Judge Kazi's court. Just three days later, on September 12, Vasudev allegedly made the initial demand of Rs 25 lakh. He is accused of specifying that Rs 10 lakh was for himself and Rs 15 lakh was for the judge.
The demand was persistently followed up, and the final amount was negotiated down to Rs 15 lakh by the very next day, September 13. The matter came to a head on November 8, when Vasudev allegedly warned the complainant's colleague that the court's order would go against them if the money was not paid. Instead of complying, the complainant approached the police, which led to the ACB laying a trap on November 11. Vasudev was caught allegedly accepting the Rs 15 lakh bribe.
Legal Proceedings and Judicial Scrutiny
The prosecution strongly opposed Vasudev's bail plea, but the court found grounds for his release under the specified conditions. It is important to note that the alleged beneficiary of the bribe, Additional Sessions Judge Ejazuddin Salauddin Kazi, is named as an accused in the case but has not been arrested. The Bombay High Court recently granted the ACB permission to proceed legally against Judge Kazi, indicating that the investigation is moving forward at a higher judicial level.
This case has cast a spotlight on corruption allegations within the court system itself. The detailed conditions imposed by the special court for Vasudev's bail reflect an attempt to balance the accused's right to liberty with the necessities of a thorough and unimpeded investigation into a serious offence involving a serving judicial officer.
