HC slams litigant for accusing sitting judges of bribery

The Bombay High Court criticized a petitioner for making reckless bribery allegations against judges, emphasizing the need to protect judicial integrity.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court recently came down heavily on a petitioner who accused two sitting judges, a former chief justice and a former advocate-general of Maharashtra of taking bribes. The court said the charges are “reckless” and an attempt to browbeat the judiciary.

HC slams litigant for accusing sitting judges of bribery

The case arose from a dispute between two families over a plot of land pending before the court since 2016 under the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands and Tenancy (MATL) Act. In due course, several interim orders were passed in favour of the petitioners, prompting the respondents to approach the Supreme Court in 2024. After the case was dismissed by the apex court, the matter was listed for hearing several times in the Bombay High Court. However, the petitioner sought adjournments on various grounds.

Subsequently, on July 21, 2025, when the case was listed for final hearing, petitioner, Kalpesh Rajendra Jain and his father, urged the court not to adjourn the matter again and informed the court that they had filed a complaint before the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Chief Justice of India, seeking the criminal prosecution of Justices Milind Jadhav and Sandeep Marne, who had passed orders in the matter, on grounds of bribery and other corrupt practices.

Later, on August 6, the petitioner placed on record a copy of an interim application, seeking recusal of the bench from hearing the petition and a request that the matter be placed before another bench. However, the interim application was heard fully and later dismissed.

On August 8, counsel representing Jain apologised to the court for the serious insinuations and unsubstantiated allegations of bribery and corruption made against sitting judges of the court. He said the allegations were made by the petition in his “over enthusiasm due to the serious apprehensions of threat faced by him at the behest of the respondents, which went overboard by levying such serious charges against the Sitting Judges”.

With the petition yet to be finally decided, the single-judge bench of Justice Milind Jadhav observed that the petitioners were given every possible opportunity to be heard but they kept seeking adjournments. Calling out the “adamant attitude” of the petitioner to determine the administration of justice and as to how courts should conduct hearings, the bench held that it cannot be allowed and the litigants cannot determine the procedure and method to be followed by the court.

The court also found no violation of the principles of natural justice. “There is no fraud practiced on either the previous bench or this bench by Respondents. Litigants cannot hold the judiciary to ransom by threatening Judges to initiate criminal action. Litigants who try to browbeat or threaten Judges have to be dealt with firmly,” the court said.

“By alleging serious charges, the litigant in fact strikes at the root of the judicial system upon which the common man reposes utmost trust and faith for redressal of his grievances,” the bench remarked.

It stated that the litigant may have a grievance against his opponent but he cannot vilify judges of the court to settle scores. On the role of lawyers in such a situation, the bench said it is far more significant as they owe a duty to the court first.