Srinagar- The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) have arrested a forest department officer from North Kashmir’s Bandipora district for allegedly demanding a bribe from a contractor to process his bill, officials said Thursday.
The anti-graft body received a written complaint against Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Range officer, Kuhihama, Bandipora from a contractor alleging that the officer was demanding a bribe as commission of Rs 10,000 for processing his bill for release of due payments, an ACB spokesperson said.
The complainant, he said, further stated that he had completed the allotted work for an amount of Rs 3, 21,000 and the forest department had already released two bills in his favour.
“However, the final bill to the tune of about Rs. one lac is pending with the department from last one and half month for which concerned Range Officer put a demand of bribe as his commission of Rs 15,000 for all three bills including already two released bills,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, the complainant fixed the deal with Range officer, for Rs 10,000 and approached ACB with complaint requesting for legal action.On receipt of complaint which prima facie disclosed the commission of offence punishable U/s 7 of the PC Act 1988 (as amended in 2018), accordingly case FIR No. 13/2023 was registered at PS ACB Baramulla and investigation was taken up.
“During the course of investigation a trap team was constituted headed by DySP rank officer. The team laid a successful trap and caught the accused public servant while demanding and accepting the bribe money of Rs 10,000. The bribe amount was recovered from the possession of the accused in presence of independent witnesses,” the spokesperson said.
The accused, he said, was immediately taken into custody after following due process as laid down under law and searches at his residence were conducted.
“Further investigation of the case is going on,” he added.
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