Srinagar, Jan 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested four government officials in three separate cases for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes, officials said.
The arrested officials include two employees of the Public Works Department (PWD), a Patwari, and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). The arrests followed complaints filed by citizens who refused to pay illegal gratification and approached the ACB for legal action.
According to a statement issued by the ACB, one case was registered at Police Station ACB Udhampur, while two cases were registered at Police Station ACB Rajouri.
In the first case, the ACB received a complaint against Anil Jamwal, Junior Assistant posted in the office of the Superintending Engineer, PWD R&B Udhampur, and Jeet Kumar, a computer operator in the office of the Executive Engineer, PWD R&B Udhampur. The duo allegedly demanded a bribe from the complainant for issuing a contractor card.
After discreet verification confirmed the demand, FIR No. 02/2026 was registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, at Police Station ACB Udhampur. A trap team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police caught both officials red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 in the presence of independent witnesses. The bribe amount was recovered, and searches were conducted at their premises in Ram Nagar and Laddan Power House, Udhampur, in the presence of a magistrate.
In the second case, the ACB Rajouri registered FIR No. 01/2026 following a complaint against ASI Zamurat Manhas of Police Station Mendhar. The complainant alleged that the ASI demanded a bribe to settle a dispute related to a monetary complaint and threatened to book him under the Public Safety Act if he failed to comply.
During the trap operation, ASI Zamurat Manhas was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 5,000 as bribe. He was arrested on the spot, and subsequent searches were carried out at his residential premises in Mendhar, Surankote, and Jammu.
In the third case, FIR No. 02/2026 was registered at Police Station ACB Rajouri against Patwari Mohd Razaq, posted in Patwar Halqa Sokar/Prori, Koteranka. The Patwari allegedly demanded a bribe for recording the names of the complainant’s three daughters in the revenue records.
Following verification, the ACB team trapped and arrested Mohd Razaq while he was accepting Rs 10,000 as bribe. Searches were later conducted at his residence.
Further investigation is underway in all three cases, the statement said.
