SRINAGAR: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested an Assistant Engineer of the Rural Development Department (RDD) and a contractor for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 to clear pending bills for five government works in Bandipora district.
The accused Assistant Engineer, identified as Mohd Rafi Moon, posted at Block Arin, had initially demanded Rs 11,000 from the complainant for clearing the bills, but later reduced the amount to Rs 8,000 following negotiations, the ACB said in a statement.
The case came to light after the ACB Police Station Baramulla received a complaint alleging that the Assistant Engineer was deliberately withholding payment of bills despite the completion of five government works under the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) framework. The complainant alleged that the officer had demanded a bribe for releasing the pending payments.
Following the complaint, the ACB conducted a discreet verification, which prima facie established the commission of a cognizable offence under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Accordingly, FIR No. 07/2026 was registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla on November 12, and an investigation was taken up.
The Bureau subsequently constituted a trap team in the presence of independent witnesses. During the operation, the Assistant Engineer and another accused, identified as Hilal Ahmad Mir, son of Mohd Ramzan Mir and a resident of Gundpora Rampora, Bandipora, were caught red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs 8,000.
The bribe amount was recovered from the conscious possession of the accused and authenticated in the presence of independent witnesses and through other supporting evidence, the ACB said.
Both accused have been arrested and taken into custody.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
