Kriti Agrawal
According to the Karnataka High Court, a former Karnataka High Court judge’s alleged attempt to pay a bribe to the petitioner for securing the position of Governor has lowered the reputation of judges and the image of the Governor’s post.
The single-judge bench of Justice K Natarajan made the statement while refusing bail to Yuvaraj Swami, 52, an astrologer convicted in several cases of allegedly defrauding politicians, businessmen, and a former High Court judge, Justice B S Indrakala.
Yuvaraj Swami, arrested by Bengaluru police in December 2020, is accused of defrauding these people of crores of rupees by promising them high-level government positions.
After Yuvaraj took her to meet top political leaders to persuade her to make payments in 2018-19, the retired High Court judge allegedly paid the astrologer Rs 8.5 crore in cash and RTGS.
Following Yuvaraj Swami’s arrest in December 2020, the retired judge lodged a police complaint alleging that he had been deceived.
The bench said, “It is also most unfortunate that a former judge of the high court has paid a bribe to the petitioner for securing the post of Governor, which act of the complainant not only lowered the prestige of a judge (but) also affects the image of the Governor’s post.”
The court also pulled up a magistrate’s court in Bengaluru for granting bail to Yuvaraj in the case filed by the former HC judge, as well as the Karnataka government for failing to request revocation of the magistrate’s bail.
Justice Natarajan said, “He has committed a heinous offence of cheating educated people as well as a retired High Court judge. It is unfortunate that the learned magistrate granted bail in Crime No.125/2020 where the accused received Rs 8.50 crore for securing the post of Governor. It is most unfortunate that the state has not chosen to file any application for cancellation of the bail granted by the magistrate.”