Chandigarh, Aug. 17 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested city-based advocate Jatin Salwan on charges of corruption after he allegedly sought a ₹30 lakh bribe to secure a favorable order in a divorce case pending before a Bathinda court.
According to investigators, Salwan claimed he could exert influence over the judicial officer handling the matter. The arrest followed a complaint filed by Harsimranjit Singh, a resident of Ferozepur, who alleged that the lawyer demanded the bribe in connection with the divorce case of his cousin, Sandeep Kaur.
The CBI examined recorded phone conversations between the complainant and Salwan, which officials said provided clear evidence of the demand. In one such recording, the advocate is purportedly heard saying, “Rishwat de paise kade ghat nahi honde” (bribe amount is never reduced).
Singh told investigators that Salwan initially insisted on the full amount of ₹30 lakh but later agreed to accept ₹5 lakh as an initial installment. The lawyer allegedly informed the complainant that another individual, said to be acting on behalf of the judicial officer, would come to collect the first payment.
A case has been registered under Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. The FIR also lists “unknown public servants and private individuals” who may have been part of the arrangement.
CBI sources noted that the investigation would probe whether the judicial officer or intermediaries were directly involved, and whether the conspiracy extended beyond Salwan. Officials said further arrests could follow once the role of other actors is established.
