Srinagar: The Special Judge Anti-Corruption Srinagar on Friday convicted former Executive Engineer of Rural Engineering Wing (REW) Ganderbal, Ghulam Nabi Dar and his then orderly Mohammad Shameem Parra in a nearly 10-year-old bribery case, sentencing both to four years’ simple imprisonment and fines on each count.
The court, presided over by Special Judge Tasleem Arief, found the two guilty under Section 4-A and Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of the State Ranbir Penal Code.
The judgment was pronounced on August 14, 2026, in case FIR No. 02/2014 registered by the Vigilance Organisation Kashmir, now Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The case arose from a complaint lodged by contractor Abdul Majid Lone, who alleged that Dar had demanded ₹10,000 for clearing his bill relating to construction of an “Apna Panchayat Ghar” at Sarfaraw in Kangan.
The complainant alleged that he had already paid ₹5,000 and was subsequently asked to pay the remaining amount. During the vigilance trap, he produced ₹3,000 in treated currency notes.
According to the prosecution case, the trap team reached the Executive Engineer’s office at Ganderbal, where the complainant and a shadow witness entered the office.
The vigilance team subsequently recovered the ₹3,000 from Shameem Parra’s trouser pocket. His handwash and pocket-wash solutions reportedly turned pink during the phenolphthalein test, while the handwash of Dar did not.
The currency-note numbers were found to correspond with those recorded during the pre-trap proceedings.
The defence had challenged the prosecution evidence, pointing to contradictions in the witnesses’ accounts and the fact that the investigating officer could not be examined during trial because he had died.
The court, however, held that the prosecution had proved the case and that the discrepancies were not sufficient to undermine its evidence. It specifically held that the elements of demand, acceptance and receipt of the bribe had been established.
While determining punishment, the court noted the gravity of corruption by public servants but also considered mitigating circumstances.
Dar was described as elderly and compulsorily retired, while Parra was a subordinate employee. Both had faced the ordeal of a prolonged trial of about 10 years and were stated to be first offenders.
The court imposed four years’ simple imprisonment and a ₹10,000 fine on each convict for each of the four offences, directing that all imprisonment terms run concurrently.
In default of payment of fine, each convict will undergo one additional month’s simple imprisonment on each count.
The court directed that they be taken into custody and lodged in Central Jail Srinagar, with any period already spent in custody to be set off against the sentence.
