STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against Maeen Azhar Kakroo, the then Tehsildar South Srinagar, for allegedly abusing his official position by demanding and accepting illegal gratification in connection with land restoration and demarcation matters.
An official spokesperson of the ACB said that FIR 03/2026 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against the accused public servant.
“The case originated from a complaint alleging illegal encroachment and bribery related to restoration and demarcation of land during the year 2021. A discreet verification was conducted, which substantiated the allegations,” an ACB official said.
According to the bureau, verification revealed that land measuring 4 Kanals 9 Marlas and 165 square feet, including Survey No. 998/54, was recorded in the names of several individuals, including the complainant. During the enquiry, it surfaced that the accused allegedly demanded illegal gratification for facilitating the restoration of 14 Marlas of land situated at Gulbahar Colony, Hyderpora, Sector-14, Srinagar.
“The accused is alleged to have accepted a second-hand Mahindra Rexton 4×4 vehicle (MH03CP-5000) as illegal gratification. Payments related to the vehicle were reportedly made by the complainant through banking transactions from his Paytm account linked with J&K Bank, Batamaloo,” the ACB official added.
Further investigation revealed that after the restoration of the land, the complainant sold the said property in January 2022 to a private purchaser, who is currently in possession of the land.
By allegedly demanding and accepting illegal gratification other than legal remuneration for performing an official act, the accused is stated to have abused his official position, thereby committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Following the registration of the FIR, the ACB conducted searches at two residential locations after obtaining warrants from the Court. The searches were carried out simultaneously at the accused’s residences located at Kanil Bagh, Azad Road, Baramulla, and Rose Avenue Colony, Gazalla Abad, HMT Srinagar.
“During the searches, incriminating material including revenue records, financial and bank-related documents were recovered and seized as evidence,” the official said.
The ACB has stated that further investigation in the case is ongoing and more recoveries and disclosures are expected as the probe progresses.