In a major crackdown on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir arrested Mohd Shafi Bhat, a Senior Assistant/Cashier in the office of the Executive Engineer, KPDCL Sub Transmission Division, Sopore, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹9,000 from a complainant for the release of a security deposit.
The ACB had received a complaint against Bhat, alleging that he had demanded a bribe of ₹10,000 to release a security amount of ₹15,560 owed to a firm, M/S Print Plus, located in Hazratbal, Srinagar. The firm had supplied stationery items and log books to the KPDCL, Sopore office in 2021, and the department had made the bill payment for the supplied items. However, the security deposit amount remained pending with the KPDCL, Sopore.
According to the complainant, despite approaching the department multiple times for the release of the security amount, Bhat kept delaying the process on various pretexts and ultimately demanded a bribe of ₹10,000. The complainant had also collected evidence against Bhat regarding the demand for the bribe.
Faced with these allegations, the complainant approached the ACB with a written complaint, requesting legal action against Bhat for demanding a bribe.
Upon receiving the complaint, the ACB registered a case (FIR No. 09/2024) against Bhat under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (r/w its amendment Act 2018), at the Police Station, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Baramulla, and initiated investigations.
During the course of the investigation, a specially constituted team of ACB officers, headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) rank officer, laid a trap and caught Bhat red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant. Bhat was immediately taken into custody after completing the legal formalities, and the bribe amount was recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses.
The ACB has reiterated its commitment to cracking down on corruption and has urged the general public to refrain from paying bribes to government servants. In case of any demand for a bribe from a government servant, citizens can immediately contact the ACB on its helpline number 9419678060 or email [email protected] for legal action.
Further investigations into the case are ongoing, and the ACB has assured that it will leave no stone unturned in ensuring transparency and accountability in public services.
This arrest serves as a strong message from the authorities that corruption in any form will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those who indulge in such unlawful practices.
