STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday arrested a revenue department official while accepting a bribe from a man for granting a demarcation report of his land in Jammu district, officials said.
The ACB received a complaint that Chuni Lal, Patwari of Halqa Dansal, demanded illegal gratification from the complainant for providing the demarcation report of his land in Dansal, a spokesman of the bureau said.
The accused demanded a bribe of Rs 1,00,000 from the complainant for providing the demarcation report.
After negotiation, Chuni Lal settled the deal for Rs 75,000 and demanded the first installment of Rs 25,000 as bribe, he said.
However, the complainant, who managed to arrange Rs 20,000 as the first installment, approached the ACB for legal action against the accused public servant, the spokesman said.
On receipt of the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which corroborated the bribe demand by Chuni Lal.
Accordingly, a trap was laid and the accused public servant was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 20,000 bribe from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses, the spokesman said.
The ACB arrested Chuni Lal following the due process of law after seizing the bribe amount from his possession. Searches were also conducted in the accused’s office and his in-laws’ house, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Haq Nawaz Zargar granted 12 days police remand of Chuni Lal, Patwari Patwar Halqa Dansal.
The accused was produced before the Court by Inspector Arun Kotwal for seeking police remand.
Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Haq Nawaz Zargar after perusal of the case diary reveals that the accused person has been arrested by team of Anti Corruption Bureau (JSK), Jammu on July 24, 2025 in the case FIR No. 15/2025, offence under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act registered at Police Station Anti Corruption Bureau, (JSK), Jammu.
The investigation of the case is at the initial stage and the custodial interrogation of the said accused person is required for further investigation into the case.
Court after perusal of the case diary, it appears that there are adequate grounds for remanding the said accused person to police custody. The accused person has been medically examined by the doctors of Police Hospital and has been found physically and mentally fit at the time of his examination and ordered that the accused is remanded to police custody for a period of 12 days upto August 5, 2025 and be produced in the competent Court on the said date for further appropriate orders.
In another case, ACB trapped and arrested Ashok Kumar, Patwari of Patwar Halqa Batote for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 40,000.
“ACB received a complaint alleging therein that the complainant want to register his name on ancestral land after the death of his father. In this regard, complainant applied for registration of Virasati Intiqal on ancestral land and the concerned Patwari namely Ashok Kumar has demanded bribe of Rs 50,000 for registration of Virasati Intiqal and after negotiation, he agreed on Rs 40,000,” ACB official said.
Since the complainant didn’t want to pay bribe and he approached ACB for taking legal action against the accused public servant under law. On receipt of complaint, official said, a discreet verification was conducted, which confirms the demand of bribe by the public servant concerned and accordingly, case FIR No.04/2025 under Section 7 of PC Act 1988 (as amended in 2018) against accused public servant was registered at PS ACB Doda and investigation taken-up.
During the course of investigation, official said, a trap team headed by Gazetted Rank Officer was constituted which laid a successful trap and accused Patwari was caught red handed while demanding and accepting of bribe Rs 40,000 from the complainant in presence of independent witnesses.
The accused Patwari was arrested on spot by the ACB team after following the due procedure of law and the bribe money was also recovered in presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team, official said adding that further investigation of the instant case is going on.
