Graft cuffs on Judge

​Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a lower court judge and two advocates on Friday on the charge of taking Rs 7.5 lakh bribe for granting bail to an accused in a narcotics case.

First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Radhakrishna Murthy and advocates K Srinivas Rao and G Satish Kumar were arrested after a case was registered based on an order of the High Court, an ACB release said.

S Radha Krishna Murthy, second additional metropolitan sessions judge, allegedly sanctioned bail to Marupaka Dattu, an accused in a narcotics case, by taking Rs 7.5 lakh through mediators in November 2017.

Marupaka Dattu, a private employee, was arrested in connection to a case under NDPS Act by Ameerpet Excise Police on September 13, 2017. His counsel, T Sriranga Rao, had filed three bail petitions before the same judge, and the judge quashed all three bail petitions.

Speaking to The Hans India, Sriranga Rao said, “I filed bail petitions for my client Dattu, who was implicated in the case for providing a hotel room for a drug peddler, but in vain. The client’s parents learnt that bail would be sanctioned if they paid Rs 10 lakh to the judge.”

After negotiations, the parents of the accused paid Rs 7.5 lakh to two advocates K Srinivas Rao and G Satish Kumar, who remitted the same to the accused judge.

“After learning how the bail was sanctioned, I complained to the Acting Chief Justice of High Court,” said Sriranga Rao. He thanked the Chief Justice for his action and saving the judiciary.

Following a complaint from the advocate, the High Court ordered an inquiry into the matter. The Nampally Metropolitan Sessions Judge conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the High Court and, reportedly, found fault with the accused judge. Based on the reports, the High Court directed the ACB to register a case against Radha Krishna Murthy.

The ACB sleuths simultaneously conducted raids on his residences at Alwal, Marredpally, and Jubilee Hills.

On April 6, the ACB sleuths raided the residence of Jagityal first additional junior civil judge S Madhu over allegations of corruption. In March, the ACB sleuths raided the residence of Gandhi, the presiding officer (judicial), Labour Court-I,Hyderabad.