Mumbai, Thane [Current Location] – April 14, 2025 – The Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act for Greater Mumbai has granted bail to Priti Rajaram Jagtap, an Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP), who was arrested in connection with a bribery case (A.C.B. Mumbai C.R. No. 22/19). The order, dated June 25, 2019, was issued by Special Judge A.N. Karmarkar (Court Room No. 54) in Bail Application No. 518 of 2019, which was filed in relation to A.C.B. R. A. 651 of 2019.
Jagtap was arrested on June 22, 2019, for an offense punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
In her bail application, Jagtap argued that the investigation was complete. She also contended that the complainant approached the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) at the instigation of an Advocate and was used to settle professional rivalry against her. Jagtap, working as an APP in the Magistrate’s Court, highlighted that the alleged bribe money had been recovered and her house had been searched. She asserted that her further custody was not required. Furthermore, she stated that she belongs to a middle-class family, suffers from a brain tumor and other ailments, is a resident of Mumbai, and has no prior criminal record.
The prosecution, represented by learned APP Mr. Soshte, opposed the bail application. They submitted that the allegations in the complaint were verified, leading to a successful trap where Jagtap was caught demanding and accepting a bribe. The tainted amount was recovered from her. The prosecution argued against bail on the grounds that her voice sample still needed to be taken, and statements of witnesses were yet to be recorded.
After hearing arguments from both sides and perusing the record, Special Judge Karmarkar noted that Jagtap was remanded to judicial custody on June 23, 2019. The allegation against her was that she demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 for giving her reply on behalf of the prosecution for a compromise/settlement in a criminal matter. The court acknowledged that the tainted money had been recovered, and panchnamas (official witness records) had been drawn.
The court opined that further detention of Jagtap might not be necessary. It also noted the search of her residence. Regarding the pending voice sample collection, the court stated that this could be addressed by imposing certain conditions.
The court further considered that Jagtap is a government servant residing in Bandra, Mumbai, with no apparent risk of absconding. The punishment for the offense under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act is imprisonment up to seven years. Considering these factors, the court found that the objections raised by the prosecution could be mitigated by imposing specific conditions.
Consequently, the court allowed the bail application, stating in the order:
- Bail Application No. 518 of 2019 in NDPS Remand Application No. 651 of 2019 is allowed and disposed off.
- The applicant/accused–Priti Rajaram Jagtap, be released on bail on her executing PR Bond of ₹25,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount.
- She shall not pressurize the witness and shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence.
- She shall attend the office of the I.O. every Sunday between 11:00 a.m. to 01:00 p.m. for a period of three months or until the filing of the charge-sheet, whichever is earlier, and shall assist the I.O. in the investigation.
The order, dictated on June 25, 2019, transcribed on June 26, 2019, and signed and uploaded on the same date, highlights the court’s consideration of the stage of the investigation, the recovery of the alleged bribe, the accused’s background, and the potential for witness tampering in granting bail with specific conditions to ensure cooperation with the ongoing investigation.