STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has nabbed one Farooq Ahmad Rather, Executive Engineer, Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 for processing a file which was pending, while his posting as Assistant Executive Engineer, Rural Development Department, Achabal, Anantnag.
As per an official spokesperson, the sleuths of ACB received a complaint alleging that Farooq Ahmad Rather, Executive Engineer, Pahalgam Development Authority is demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 @ 3 per cent for the MGNAREGA bills costing Rs 1.49 lakh and demanding 1.5 per cent share of amounting to Rs 4.25 lakh approximately for already executed and released Capex works. “The complainant alleged that he is contractor by profession, and had done the work under MGNAREGA scheme but the accused officer was demanding bribe for processing file for release of payment @ 3 per cent for the MGNAREGA bills,” the official added. He further said that on receiving complaint, prima facie offence under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was found made out. Consequently, FIR No. 08/2022 was registered at Police Station ACB Anantnag and investigation started, during which a trap team caught Farooq Ahmad Rather, Executive Engineer, Pahalagam Development Authority, red handed, while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from complainant. “He was arrested on the spot and bribe money was recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses,” said official, adding that further investigation is going on.
