STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested a Block Forest Officer (BFO) and a Forest Guard for allegedly accepting a bribe from a person involved in illegal felling of trees in a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, officials said.
They were identified as Sat Pal (BFO) and Abneet Kumar (forest guard), they said.
The accused were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from the man involved in felling of trees to settle the case against him, the officials said.
“Anti Corruption Bureau received a complaint against Abneet Kumar presently posted at Beat Bharakh with additional charge of Beat Narla Bambal. In the complaint, the complainant alleged that he had taken one dry fallen Chir tree from the forest and after few days Munshi of PP Taryath contacted the complainant and told that Forest Guard namely Abneet Kumar of beat Narla Bambal lodged a complaint against him for cutting/taking of tree from the forest without permission,” the officials said.
“When the complainant met Munshi of PP Teryath, he told him to settle the matter with the Forest Guard. When the complainant contacted forest guard through another persons, he demanded Rs 22,000 as bribe for withdrawn of application and settlement. On this the complainant approached ACB and lodged complaint in Police Station ACB Rajouri for taking legal action against the above named Forest Guard.”
“Since the contents of the complaint disclose demand of bribe by alleged accused public servant the same was verified through verifying officer who reported that prima facie commission of offences under section 7 of PC Act 1988 is made out against the accused Abneet Kumar Forest Guard. Accordingly, case FIR No. 02/2023 of PS ACB Rajouri and investigation started”, said officials.
“During investigation a trap team was constituted. However, during the trap proceedings, another forest official Sat Pal, Incharge Block officer Thakrakote was also found involved in the conspiracy with the said Forest Guard Abneet Kumar. They were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 15,000 from the complainant. Both of them were arrested on spot after completing necessary legal formalities.” “Searches were also conducted in the houses of the accused persons situated at Pouni, Reasi and Gurha Jagir, Akhnoor”, official further said.