STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a revenue official in Udhampur district after he was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe for the issuance of land documents, an official said.
The ACB has registered a case against the public servant, identified as Pardhan Singh, Patwari of Patwar Halqa Laddha in Moungri tehsil of Udhampur district, and the concerned Girdawar (land officer) for demanding illegal gratification from a complainant, the official said.
According to the ACB, the accused patwari had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant for effecting a ‘Virasati Intkal’ (land registration document) and providing its certified copy.
Following a complaint against the official, a discreet verification was conducted, which corroborated the demand of bribe by the public servant concerned and accordingly, a case FIR No 01/2026 U/S 07 of Prevention of Corruption, Act, 1988 and Section 61(2) BNS, 2023 was registered at PS ACB Udhampur and investigation was taken-up, the ACB said. During the investigation, an ACB team laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses, they said.
The accused was arrested on the spot after following due procedure and the bribe money was recovered from his possession, the official said.
Searches were also conducted at the rented accommodation of the accused patwari at Sailan Talab, Udhampur, and at Basnote in Moungri tehsil, in the presence of a magistrate, ACB said, adding that further investigation is underway.