Srinagar: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a cashier in the office of Executive Engineer, KPDCL sub-transmission division Sopore, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 9000 for the release of the security deposit of a complainant.
In a statement, a spokesperson said that ACB received a complaint against Mohammad Shafi Bhat, senior assistant-cum-cashier in the office of the Executive Engineer KPDCL Sopore, alleging that he was demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 for release of security amount to the tune of Rs 15,560.
The statement reads that it was alleged by the complainant his firm M/S Print Plus in Hazratbal Srinagar had in 2021 supplied stationary items and log books to the office of Executive Engineer Sopore for which the bill payment against the supplied items was made by the department but the security deposit of Rs 15,560 was pending.
“He alleged that he approached the department for the release of the security amount many times but Mohammad Shafi kept delaying the same on one pretext or another and finally demanded ₹10,000 as bribe for doing so and that he had collected proof against said cashier regarding demand of bribe. Under these circumstances he approached ACB with a written complaint requesting legal action against the cashier,” ACB said.
A case FIR No. 09/2024 under section 7 of the P.C Act 1988 (r/w its amendment Act 2018) was registered and during the course of investigations, the accused public servant was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribes from the complainant.
“He was immediately taken into custody after legal formalities, the bribe amount was also recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses. Further investigations in the case are going on,” ACB said.
