SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested a Senior Assistant posted at the Sub-Division Agriculture Office in Handwara after catching him while accepting an alleged bribe of Rs 40,000 for clearing a subsidy bill.
The accused, identified as Irshad Ahmad Peer, allegedly sought the money to release a subsidy bill for a tractor purchased by the complainant’s brother under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), the ACB said.
According to the bureau, its Police Station in Baramulla received a written complaint alleging that the bill was pending with the official, who had demanded Rs 40,000 in exchange for its clearance.
A discreet verification conducted by ACB Baramulla found the allegations of bribery to be substantiated, prompting the registration of a case on October 12, 2026.
FIR No. 06/2026 was registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, at ACB Police Station Baramulla, and an investigation was initiated.
Following the registration of the case, the bureau formed a trap team with independent witnesses. The official was subsequently caught red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 40,000. The bribe money was recovered from his possession, the ACB said.
Peer has been arrested and taken into custody, while further investigation is under way, the bureau added.
