Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu and Kashmir on Monday arrested two Field Supervisors of the Jammu and Kashmir Women’s Development Corporation (JKWDC) for their alleged involvement in a bribery case linked to the release of a sanctioned Rs 3 lakh loan under the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) scheme.
According to the ACB, the action followed a written complaint alleging that Owais Ahmad Khan, a Field Supervisor with JKWDC, had demanded illegal gratification from the complainant for facilitating the release and disbursement of the sanctioned loan.
The complainant, unwilling to pay the alleged bribe, approached the ACB, following which the bureau conducted a verification of the allegations. The verification prima facie established a demand for illegal gratification, the ACB said.
Based on the findings, the bureau registered FIR No. 15/2026 under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station ACB Srinagar.
A trap team was subsequently constituted to catch the accused official. During the trap operation, Khan was allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe in exchange for facilitating the release and disbursement of the sanctioned Rs 3 lakh loan, the ACB said.
The bureau also arrested another JKWDC Field Supervisor, Meiraj-ud-din Sheikh, during the operation for his alleged involvement in the offence. The ACB said Sheikh’s specific role and involvement were being ascertained as part of the ongoing investigation.
The bureau said it recovered the alleged bribe money from the accused in the presence of independent witnesses. Both accused officials underwent medico-legal formalities and were subsequently lodged at Police Station Shaheed Gunj, Srinagar, for safe custody. Further investigation into the case is underway, the ACB said.
