The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Gulshan Singh, a Patwari (revenue official) from Halqa Machhedi, Kathua district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 3,000 for issuing a Virasati Intqal (inheritance mutation) and a legal heir certificate.
The ACB received a written complaint from a resident of Machhedi, alleging that Gulshan Singh had demanded a bribe of Rs. 5,000 for the issuance of the aforementioned documents. The complainant had applied through the online portal of the revenue department and had already paid an advance of Rs. 2,000 to the Patwari. Acting swiftly on the complaint, the ACB registered a case (FIR No. 02/2023) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, at Police Station ACB Central, and initiated an investigation.
During the course of the investigation, a trap team was constituted, which laid a trap and caught the accused Patwari red-handed while demanding and accepting the remaining bribe amount of Rs. 3,000 in the presence of independent witnesses. Gulshan Singh was arrested on the spot after completing all legal formalities.
Following the arrest, searches were conducted at the residential house of the accused, located at Ward No. 21, Ram Nagar Colony, Kathua. According to sources, the arrested Patwari, along with his brothers, who are employed as a forest official and two other Patwaris, are allegedly involved in abusing their official positions and facilitating the smuggling of wood by exploiting the green cover in the region.
The ACB has assured the public that further investigation into the case is ongoing, and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of corruption and misuse of power. The arrest of the Patwari has shed light on the alleged collusion between revenue officials and forest officials in the illegal trade of timber, highlighting the need for increased vigilance and accountability measures within the government departments.
