Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday trapped and arrested a Deputy Forester and a Forest Guard red-handed for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹11,000 from a complainant in Kalidhar Forest Range.
Spokesperson in a statement issued here to news agency JKNS reads, ACB received a complaint alleging therein that public servants namely Surinder Kumar, posted as B.O (Deputy Forester) in the Range Office, Kalidhar, Block Chowki Choura (now under transfer) and Kewal Krishan, then posted as Forest Guard with the said Dy. Forester (now posted at Forest Check Post Bridge, Akhnoor), demanded illegal gratification for release of additional CDR., it reads.
The accused persons had demanded a bribe of ₹14,000 from the complainant for release of additional CDR, which was deposited by the complainant during the execution of the work namely “Construction of 126 Boundary Pillars in Compartment No. 12/K, Nada Chargiyal Forest, Kalidhar Forest Range” allotted in reference to e-NIT No. 27 of 2024-25 dated 07-11-2024 of Forest Department, it reads.
After negotiation, the accused public servants have agreed to take bribe amount of Rs 11,000/- (Rs 3000/- for the Dy. Forester and rest of the amount for Forest Guard) from the complainant for doing the needful. Since, the complainant didn’t want to pay bribe and he approached Anti-Corruption Bureau for taking legal action against the accused public servants under law, it reads.
On receipt of the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which confirms the demand of bribe by the public servants concerned and accordingly, a case FIR No. 11/2025 U/S 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 61(2) BNS, 2023 was registered in Police Station ACB Jammu and investigation taken up, statement reads.
During the course of investigation, a trap team was constituted. The team laid a successful trap and accused public servants were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe amount of ₹11,000 from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses. The accused persons were arrested on the spot by the ACB team after following due process of law., it reads.
The bribe money was also recovered from their possession in presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team. Moreover, searches are also being conducted in the residential houses of both the accused in presence of independent witnesses and Magistrates, it reads.
Further investigation of the instant case is going on, reads the statement. (JKNS)
