ACB Traps & Arrests Ward Member SMC for Accepting Rs 20k Bribe

ACB traps and arrests Mohd Maqbool Bhat, Ward Officer Srinagar Municipal Corporation while demanding ₹50,000 and accepting ₹20,000 bribe as 1st Instalment

Anti Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging therein that Ward Officer, Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC), Hawal, Srinagar is demanding ₹50,000/- as bribe for allowing construction in favour of the complainant. The complainant requested to the ward officer and pleaded for justice, who however remained adamant on his demand of bribe. He had asked the complainant to pay a bribe of ₹20,000 as first installment. However, before paying the bribe amount to the accused person, the complainant approached Anti Corruption Bureau for taking legal action against the accused public servant under law.

On receipt of the complaint a Case FIR No. 33/2022 U/S 7 PC Act 1988 was registered with this Bureau and investigation taken up.

During the course of investigation a trap team constituted. The team laid a successful trap and caught the accused public servant Mohd Maqbool Bhat S/o Ali Mohd Bhat R/o HMT Srinagar, Ward Officer, Hawal SMC Srinagar red handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of ₹20,000 from the complainant as first instalment of ₹50,000. He was arrested on the spot by the ACB team. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses. Subsequently, searches were carried out at different locations associated with the accused.

Further investigation into the case is going on. (KF)