Mobiles seised in Indian judge’s home in connection with a gambling case

Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have arrested a junior civil judge from Jagtial in the Indian state of Telangana after filing a case against him as per the directions of the state High Court. During raids conducted at the judge’s residence in Jagtial, ACB sleuths recovered Rs 4.2 lakh cash and six cell phones which were property of a Gaming Act case.
Based on HC’s directions, ACB registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against S Madhu, I Additional Junior Civil Judge, Jagtial under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act on Thursday and conducted searches at his house on Friday.

According to ACB officials, the Bar Association of Jagtial complained to the HC about the corrupt activities of Judge. In his complaint, advocate Ch Ramakrishna Rao, alleged that the civil judge forced him to pay Rs 10,000 bribe to acquit his client in a criminal case.

In another complaint to the HC, advocate K Venkateswar Rao alleged that the judge took Rs 50,000 bribe from him for acquitting two of his clients in a criminal case. “Thus the judge demanded and accepted bribe from the advocates in abuse of his official position. Due to fear and pressure from the judge advocates paid the bribe ,” official statement issued by the ACB office stated.

Based on the complaint, the vigilance wing of the High Court conducted preliminary probe and after recording the statements of the two advocates, directed the ACB to register a case under the PC Act against the judge S Madhu.

After registering the case, ACB team conducted a search. “The cash was seized as the junior civil judge could not account for it satisfactorily and the six cell phones are of a Gaming Act case property,” ACB official said.

Following the search, ACB sleuths arrested the accused junior civil judge.