ACB arrests Executive Engineer, Pahalgam Development Authority for demanding bribe

Srinagar : TheJammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (J&K ACB) on Saturday said that it has trapped and arrested Farooq Ahmad Rather, Engineer, Pahalgam Development Authority for demanding and accepting bribe of ₹10,000 for processing file which was pending while he was posted as Assistant Executive Engineer, Rural Development Department, Achabal, Anantnag.
In a statement issued on Saturday, J&K ACB said a complaint was received where in the complainants alleged that he is contractor by profession, and had done the work under MGNAREGA scheme . The complainant, according to the statement, had also alleged that Farooq Ahmad Rather Executive 0Engineer is demanding bribe for processing the file for release of payment @3% for the MGNAREGA bills costing ₹1.49 lacs and demanding 1.5% share of ₹4.25 lakhs approx. for already executed and released Capex works bills in block Achabal.
Stating further that upon receiving the instant complaint, prima facie offence U/S 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was found made out and consequently, case FIR No. 08/2022 was registered in PS ACB Anantnag and investigation taken-up.
J&K ACB in its statement further said that during the course of investigation, a trap team was constituted which caught red handed Farooq Ahmad Rather, Executive Engineer, Pahalgam Development Authority while demanding and accepting the bribe of ₹10000/- from the complainant. Stating that the said Executive Engineer was arrested on the spot by the ACB team, J&K ACB in it’s statement furthermore said that the bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses and Further investigation is going on.