ACB arrests forester and official for accepting Rs 12,500 bribe in north Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 8: Jammu and Kashmir’s Anti Corruption Bureau on Friday arrested a Forester and an official of the Forest Range office, in north Kashmir for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 12,500 for processing and issuance of transit permit.
Forester Mansoor Ahmad and an official of the forest Range office, Watergam , Mushtaq Ahmad, were arrested by a team of ACB.
The ACB said they received a complaint from a resident of Rafiabad Baramulla saying therein that he has timber business and recently sold about 375 Cft timber to a customer from Srinagar for which he needed transit permit from Range Office, Watergam.
Accordingly, he submitted four applications online under National Transit Pass System (NTPS) which is required for transporting timber from Baramulla to Srinagar.
He further stated that when he visited Range Office, Watergam, he was given one transit permit for transportation of timber but the concerned Forester demanded bribe of Rs 3500 for said issued permit and also told him that he had to pay more for other three pending permissions.
The complainant approached to ACB seeking legal action against concerned officers.
“On receipt of the complaint as per laid down norms the allegations were discreetly verified which revealed that the forester in connivance and conspiracy with other officials of the Range office, Watergam is demanding bribe of Rs 3500 for one transit permit already issued to complainant and is also demanding bribe for processing and issuance of Transit Permit through online NTPS in other three pending applications of complainant,” ACB statement said.
After proper verification of the contents of complaint a case was registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla and investigation was commenced.
“During the course of investigation a team was constituted which laid a successful trap and caught the accused public servant red handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 12500 from complainant. Both the accused public servants were arrested on the spot after completing all legal formalities and the bribe money was also recovered from them,” the statement said, adding the role of other officials in the bribery case is also being looked into.