Srinagar, Jan 20: Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday trapped and arrested four officials, including two PWD employees, a Patwari and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), in three separate cases of demanding and accepting bribes, officials said here.
They said, the arrests were made following complaints lodged by citizens who refused to pay illegal gratification, prompting the ACB to conduct discreet verifications and catch the accused red-handed during sting operations.
According to a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption bureau today arrested four officials for demanding and accepting bribe. One case was registered at PS ACB Udhampur whereas 02 cases were registered at PS ACB Rajouri.
The statement reads, ACB received a complaint that Anil Jamwal, Jr. Assistant posted in the office of Superintending Engineer PWD R&B Udhampur and Jeet Kumar Computer operator posted in the office of Executive Engineer PWD R&B Udhampur demanded the bribe from the complainant for issuance of contractor card. Since, the complainant did not want to pay bribe, he approached ACB for taking legal action against the accused public servant under law.
It reads, on receipt of the compliant, a discreet verification was conducted, which corroborated the demand of bribe by the public servant concerned and accordingly, a case FIR No. 02/2026 U/S 07 of Prevention of Corruption, Act, 1988 and Section 61(2) BNS, 2023 was registered at PS ACB Udhampur and investigation was taken-up.
“During the course of investigation, a trap team headed by Dy. SP Rank Officer was constituted. The team laid a successful trap and accused public servants were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe amount ₹12000 from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses,” the statement reads.
It also reads, the bribe money was also recovered from the possession of accused in presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team. Moreover, searches were also conducted at Ram Nagar and Laddan Power House Udhampur respectively, in presence of Magistrate.
In another case, “ACB received a complaint alleging therein that ASI Zamurat Manhas called the complainant at Police Station Mendhar, on the complaint of one Abdul Qayoom for not returning his money. Complainant requested for some time to return the money and Abdul Qayoom agreed. Thereafter, ASI Zamurat Manhas started demanding a bribe from complainant to settle the matter with Abdul Qayoom. He also threatened him that if he does not pay the bribe, he will book him under PSA. Since the complainant is a poor person and did not want to give illegal gratification to the above named accused, he approached and lodged a written complaint in Police Station ACB Rajouri for taking legal action against him.”
The statement reads, accordingly Case FIR No. 01/2026 was registered at PS ACB Rajouri and investigation taken up.
“During the course of investigation, a team was constituted. The team caught ASI Zamurat Manhas red handed accused while demanding and accepting ₹5,000 as bribe from the complainant. The accused was arressted on spot and subsequently, searches were also conducted at the residential premises of accused at Mendhar, Surankote and Jammu.”
The statement further reads, in yet another case ACB on the basis of a written complaint alleging therein that complainant approached Patwari Mohd. Razaq posted in Patwar Halqa Sokar/Prori, Koteranka for recording the name of his three daughters in the revenue record. However, the concerned Patwari demanded bribe from complainant for recording the name of his daughters in Khasra Girdwari.
“Since the complainant is a poor person and did not want to give illegal gratification to the above named Patwari, he approached and lodged a written complaint in Police Station ACB Rajouri for taking legal action against him. Accordingly case FIR No. 02/2026 was registered at PS ACB Rajuori and investigation taken up.”
It reads, after registration of the case, a team of PS ACB Rajouri caught Mohd. Razaq, Patwari red handed while demanding and accepting ₹10,000 as bribe from the complainant. The accused was arrested on spot and subsequently, searches were conducted at the residential premises of accused. Further investigation in all the three cases is going on.—(KNO)
