Baramulla, April 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested two officials of PWD (R&B) Mechanical Division, North Kashmir, Baramulla, in a trap case for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹13,000 for release of payment, officials said.
The arrested officials have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad, Senior Assistant, and Farooq Ahmad, Junior Assistant, both posted in the division.
According to the ACB, the case originated from a telephonic complaint received on April 6 through its helpline from a complainant working as a manager of a private firm registered on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
The complainant stated that his firm had participated in a tender floated by the division for supply of a customized vehicle for live fish transportation. The firm was declared the lowest bidder (L1), and the vehicle was subsequently delivered to the Fisheries Department Bandipora.
Despite completion of all formalities, including submission of bills on the GeM portal and hard copies to the department, the payment was allegedly withheld for several days, with the officials demanding a bribe for its release.
Following the complaint, the ACB conducted discreet verification, which prima facie established the allegations. Subsequently, FIR No. 01/2026 was registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), read with Section 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, at Police Station ACB Baramulla.
During the investigation, an ACB team laid a trap and apprehended both accused officials while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant. They were taken into custody on the spot after completion of legal formalities.
Officials said further investigation in the case is underway.
The ACB has urged citizens to report instances of bribery through its toll-free helpline 1800-180-7152 or WhatsApp number 9419678060, and through the Satark Nagrik mobile application or official email.
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