In a shocking case of corruption, Inspector Azim Khan, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Pantha Chowk Police Station, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for demanding a bribe of Rs 8 lakh to issue a copy of an FIR related to an accident case.
The ACB received a written complaint alleging that SHO Azim Khan, through his tout Mushtaq Ahmad, was demanding the hefty bribe for issuing the FIR copy to the complainant. After verifying the genuineness of the allegations, the ACB registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and initiated an investigation.
The probe revealed that on March 25, 2024, an accident occurred at the Khanmoh stone quarry site, where a boulder fell on a hydraulic excavator, damaging it beyond repair and grievously injuring a laborer, who later succumbed to his injuries. An FIR (No. 26/2024) under Sections 188 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Pantha Chowk Police Station, and SHO Azim Khan himself took up the investigation.
During the course of the investigation, the SHO booked the excavator operator and an associate in the case and seized the excavator. The actual owner of the excavator approached the insurance company for a claim, but the company required a police report and a copy of the FIR for processing the claim.
Despite repeated requests and court orders, SHO Azim Khan deliberately delayed furnishing the reports to the excavator owner. Finally, he agreed to provide the reports only upon receiving a bribe of Rs 8 lakh through his tout, Mushtaq Abassi.
Under compulsion, the complainant paid Rs 5.5 lakh to the SHO but still failed to receive the reports. Acting swiftly, the ACB constituted a trap team and apprehended SHO Azim Khan and his tout, Mushtaq Ahmad, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and a cheque of Rs 50,000 from the complainant inside the Pantha Chowk Police Station premises. During a search of the SHO’s official residence, an additional Rs 5.36 lakh in cash was recovered and seized in the presence of independent witnesses.
Both the accused were arrested after completing legal formalities and will be presented before the Anti-Corruption Court in Srinagar. The ACB has vowed to continue its investigations into the case, sending a strong message against corruption in the ranks of law enforcement.
