Examiner Bureau | Bandipora:
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested an Assistant Engineer of the Rural Development Department (RDD) and a contractor for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 in exchange for clearing pending bills related to five government works in Bandipora district.
According to an ACB statement, the accused Assistant Engineer, Mohd Rafi Moon, posted at Block Arin, had initially demanded Rs 11,000 from the complainant for releasing the pending payments. The amount was later reduced to Rs 8,000 following negotiations.
The case came to light after Police Station ACB Baramulla received a complaint alleging that the Assistant Engineer was deliberately withholding payment of bills despite the completion of five government works under the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) framework. The complainant alleged that the officer had demanded a bribe to clear the payments.
Following the complaint, the ACB conducted a discreet verification, which prima facie established the commission of a cognizable offence under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Accordingly, FIR No. 07/2026 was registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla on November 12, and an investigation was initiated.
The Bureau subsequently constituted a trap team in the presence of independent witnesses. During the operation, the Assistant Engineer and another accused, identified as Hilal Ahmad Mir, son of Mohd Ramzan Mir and a resident of Gundpora Rampora, Bandipora, were allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs 8,000.
The bribe amount was recovered from the accused’s conscious possession and authenticated in the presence of independent witnesses, along with other supporting evidence, the ACB said.
Both accused have been arrested and taken into custody. Further investigation is underway.
