SRINAGAR: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday caught a Range officer, Kuhihama forest Division, Bandipora red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 for processing the bill of the complainant.
A spokesman in a statement said that ACB received a written complaint against Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Range officer, Kuhihama, Bandipora from a complainant alleging therein that concerned officer is demanding bribe as commission of Rs 10,000 for processing his Bill for release of due payments.
“The complainant further alleged that he is contractor and had completed the allotted work for an amount of Rs 3,21,000 and that after completing the said work the forest department has already released two bills in his favour,” the statement said.
It adds, ” The final bill the tune of about Rs One Lakh is pending with the said department from last one and half month for which concerned Range Officer Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi put a demand of bribe as his commission of Rs 15,000 for all three bills including already two released bills. The said amount after negotiations with accused Range officer, was settled on Rs 10,000 the complainant arranged Rs 10,000 and approached ACB with complaint requesting for legal action.”
During the course of investigation a trap team was constituted headed by DySP rank officer and the accused was caught while accepting bribe.
“The accused was immediately taken into custody after following due process as laid down under law and searches at his residence were conducted,” the spokesman said, adding that further investigation of the case is going on—(KNO)
