Sreya Kanugula
A special Mirzapur anti-corruption court used citations on the remarks made by Mr. Joe Biden, the president of the United States of America, in order to bring attention to the evil effects that corruption had upon society.
It cited these remarks while denying the granting of bail to two people involved in a graft case.
The applications for bail had been filed by Mr. Hardik Damor, a suspended mamlatdar from the region of Dholka, and another by Mr. Jagdish Parmar, who had been arrested on the allegation of accepting 25 Lakhs as a bribe regarding a land survey.
Mr. Parmar was apparently working as Mr. Damor’s agent. After they were both arrested by the anti-corruption bureau in January 2021, they had sought bail from this special court.
Special judge J A Thakkar had said that there had been a strong case of prima facie against both the accused.
He also added, “At this stage, looking at the seriousness of the offence and its effect on the society, it is required to note the great remarks which is passed by the Hon’ble President of the United States, Hon’ble Joe Biden about the corruption in a meeting in Bucharest with Romanian civil society groups and students back in May 2014, that, ‘Corruption is a cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity.”
The details of the case were further discussed by the court and it gave the observation that “In view of the gravity, nature and the role played by the applicant-accused and in the larger interest of the society, at this stage, this is not a fit case to exercise discretionary power under Section 439 of the CrPC to grant bail.”