Srinagar, Mar 16 (Representative) Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a Junior Engineer of the Rural Development Department for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5000 from a complainant in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said on Friday. ACB said that it received a complaint on its Helpline Number from one complainant resident of village Kunnel Qaziabad, Handwara District Kupwara alleging that he has executed some work under MG-NREGA and for preparing & processing the Bill of said work & for preparing labour Engineer Marazi & G R Suboor Mir were demanding bribe of Rs. 5000/- & 3000/- from him as their commission etc. On receipt of this information, a discreet verification into the matter was conducted by ACB to ascertain the veracity of the allegations during which it was found that the complainant was authorised last year by the panchayat to execute two developmental works of Improvement of the road from Chiang to Ashoponor and filling and leveling of graveyard near Jamia Masjid Kunnel.
The complainant had completed both the works for which the department initially gave him some amount under labour head but full labour payment was not given to him, the ACB statement said. It was also found that on completion of the works complainant (contractor) requested J.E concerned to prepare the bill of both the works but he demanded a bribe as commission & it was also found that Mir was also demanding the same as his commission for preparing labour demand. Discreet probes also reveal that both these officials used to take bribes from the complainant through m-pay as well as cash on earlier occasions also & were demanding more bribes for final bill & labour demand. The complainant approached ACB through a helpline number & with a written complaint subsequently and requested legal action against both these officials.
Accordingly based on the findings & recommendation of the Verifying Officer dated 14.03.2024, prima facie offence U/S 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (as amended in 2018) & section 120-B IPC was made out against accused Public servants for processing/preparing his Bill & putting demand for remaining labour payments. A case FIR No 02-2024 U/S 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (as amended in 2018) & section 120-B IPC was registered at PS ACB Baramulla & investigations were initiated. During the investigation, a trap team was constituted which laid a successful trap and caught the accused JE red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5000 from the complainant. The bribe money was later recovered from the possession of the accused as well as one shopkeeper to whom he had given the money in presence of independent witnesses. The accused public servants were arrested on the spot after completing all legal formalities. The role of Mir & other officials in the case is being investigated. Further investigation in the case is going on, the ACB said.