ACB arrests Patwari for demanding Rs 3000 bribe in Kathua

Srinagar, Apr 05: ACB traps and arrested a Patwari for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 3000 for issuance of Virasati Intqal and legal heir certificate in Kathua district on Friday.

In a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said that ACB received a written complaint from a resident of Machhedi alleging that Gulshan Singh, Patwari, Halqa Machhedi is demanding bribe of Rs 5000 from him for issuance of Virsati Intqal mutations and legal heir certificate.

The statement reads that the complainant applied through online portal of revenue department and met Patwari for issuance of the same. "The Patwari received and amount of ₹2000 as advance and further demanding balance ₹3,000 from complainant for issuance of the documents."

It reads that as the contents of complaint prima facie disclose the commission of offence punishable U/s 7 of the PC Act 1988, accordingly a Case FIR No. 02/2024 was registered at Police Station ACB Central and the investigation taken up.

"During the course of investigation a trap team was constituted which laid a trap and caught the accused Patwari red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of ₹3000 in presence of independent witnesses. He was arrested on the spot after completing all legal formalities."

It added that after the arrest of the accused, searches were also conducted in the residential house of the accused in Ram Nagar Colony, while further investigation in the case is going on.