Jammu, Jul 16 (NVI): The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested a patwari in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a complainant in connection with mutation-related documents, officials said.
The accused, identified as Khajan Chand, was posted at Patwar Halqa Mahanpur in Kathua district.
According to the ACB, the patwari had allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 from the complainant for providing documents after the mutation was attested in favour of the complainant’s sister. The complainant had already paid Rs 9,000, while the remaining amount was later negotiated and settled at Rs 10,000.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB, following which a verification was conducted and a case was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
A trap was subsequently laid, during which the accused was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting the bribe in the presence of independent witnesses, the officials said.
The accused was arrested on the spot and the bribe money was recovered from his possession.
Searches were also conducted at his residence as part of the investigation, which is underway, the ACB said.(NVI)
