Srinagar: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a Technical Assistant, Block Development Office Arina, Bandipora alongwith his associate for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a complainant.
A spokesman of the Bureau said that a complaint was received wherein the complainant, a resident of village Sumlar, Bandipora alleged that he and his father had executed work in their village Sumlar District Bandipora titled “Development of playfield by way of earth cutting and construction of retaining walls” under Block Development office Arina Bandipora.
“The concerned Technical Assistant of Block Development Office Arina namely Showkat Ahmad has released only part payment of their bill of Rs. 4,10,000/ and that he is demanding bribe of Rs. 20,000/- for release of the remaining amount,” the complainant alleged.
ACB registered the case under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 as prima facie made out in complaint against the accused public servant Manzoor Ahmad technical assistant in Rural Development Department (REW) Block Arina Bandipora started investigations into the matter, said the spokesman.
He said that following the registration of case, a trap team was constituted headed by DySP rank officer and independent witnesses which caught the accused officer Showkat Ahmad red handed alongwith his tout Irfan Yousaf while accepting the bribe.
“Both of them were immediately arrested after completing necessary legal formalities and the bribe amount was also recovered in presence of independent witnesses,” the spokesman said, adding, further investigations of the case are going on.