Jammu, Oct 31 (JKNS): The Anti-Corruption Court Jammu has awarded four years’ imprisonment to two revenue officials convicted of taking a ₹90,000 bribe in a 2019 trap case.
In a statement issued here to news agency JKNS, The case dates back to April 16, 2019, when complainant Javed Ashraf approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu alleging that the two revenue officials had demanded ?90,000 for issuing Fard Intikhab of two marlas of land at Jhajjar Kotli along the National Highway. Acting on the complaint, ACB registered FIR No. 11/2019 under the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B RPC.
Statement reads, trap team headed by DySP Abdul Wahid Giri was constituted and, after pre-trap proceedings in presence of two independent witnesses, the team accompanied the complainant to the office of Naib Tehsildar.
There, both accused reiterated their demand for money. The complainant handed over ?90,000 to Naib Tehsildar Faryad Ahmed in presence of Patwari Yadav Chander, following which the trap team rushed in and apprehended them. The tainted money was recovered from Ahmed’s office drawer, while chemical tests on his hand wash confirmed traces of phenolphthalein powder, it reads.
During trial, the prosecution led by APP M.A. Almansoor for the Union Territory of J&K produced 15 witnesses, including independent officials and trap team members, whose testimonies corroborated the case. The accused, defended by Advocate K.S. Charak, denied the allegations and claimed false implication, but the court held that oral, documentary, and scientific evidence conclusively proved the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Special Judge Haq Nawaz Zargar convicted both officials under Sections 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2), 4-A of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B RPC, awarding each four years of rigorous imprisonment along with fine. The court observed that corruption in revenue matters undermines public faith in institutions and stressed that deterrent punishment was essential to protect governance from decay, reads the statement. (JKNS)
