SEEPZ bribery case: Man booked for collecting bribe made approver against senior officials

Manoj Joglekar, one of the accused, sought to become an approver and sought pardon, stating that he will make full disclosure of whatever knowledge he has about the offence. During its preliminary inquiry, the CBI claimed that he had admitted to having collected bribes at the direction of officers posted at SEEPZ. The CBI had told court last year that Joglekar was apprehended, who informed them that he had Rs 60 lakh that was collected as bribe and was meant for distribution among the officials. Joglekar was granted anticipatory bail in the case in April this year after the CBI said it had no objection to him being made an approver.

“Application of Manoj Joglekar…for grant of tender of pardon under Section 343 of BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) is allowed on condition of making full and true disclosure of the whole of the circumstances within his knowledge relating to the offence and every other person concerned and accused shall be marked as approver in this case,” said special judge A V Gujarathi on Wednesday.

The previous accused, who was similarly granted pardon, was a businessman, a private individual, who had submitted that he was not a beneficiary of the bribe amount. When the accused were arrested, they were ordered to be released as the court had termed their arrests illegal, stating that they had not been done as per procedure.