Patwari Nabbed While Taking Bribe; ACB Recovers ₹35 Lakh in Cash
Rs 35 Lakh Recovered as ACB Traps Patwari in Samba
Samba: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday registered a case against Sunil Kumar, a Patwari posted at Patwar Halqa Dadui in Tehsil and District Samba, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe.
According to an official statement issued to the Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the accused had demanded ₹1,00,000 from a complainant in exchange for preparing a report requested by the Tehsildar Samba regarding correction of Girdawari records. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to ₹80,000.
The complainant, however, could arrange only ₹20,000 and, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the ACB seeking legal action against the Patwari. Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap and subsequently recovered ₹35 lakh during the operation.
On receipt of the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which corroborated the demand of bribe by the public servant concerned and accordingly, a case under FIR number 19/2025 U/S 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered in Police Station ACB Jammu and investigation taken up.
“During the course of investigation, a trap team was constituted. The team laid a successful trap and accused public servant was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe amount from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses. The accused was arrested on the spot by the ACB team after following due process of law. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team,” the spokesman said.
Moreover, during the search of his personal vehicle, a huge cash amounting to more than 35 lakhs rupees was also recovered/seized, apart from search was also conducted in the residential house of the accused public servant in presence of Magistrates, the statement reads, adding that further investigation of the instant case is going on—(KNO)
