A judicial magistrate first class in Pune district was denied an anticipatory bail plea by the Bombay High Court (HC)n in an alleged bribery case under the Prevention of Corruption Act filed in January.

 “This is a very serious case in which the judicial officer should be arrested,” said Justice Sarang Kotwal in his March 3 order. The HC refused the magistrate’s counsel Aabad Ponda’s request for a stay of four weeks on the rejection, “considering the gravity of offence and need of custodial interrogation”.