STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a significant development in the fight against corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau Jammu and Kashmir (ACB) has secured the conviction of a revenue official in a bribery case while also filing a chargesheet against another Patwari in a separate corruption matter, officials said on Monday.
According to ACB officials, the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court Srinagar, presided over by Tasleem Arief Ganie, convicted Bashir Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Wahab Dar and a resident of Arreh Mohanpora in Kulgam district, in a trap case registered under FIR No. 03/2012 at the then Police Station Vigilance Organisation Kashmir, now ACB.
The accused was serving as Girdawar at the time of the offence and was found guilty under Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 161 of the Ranbir Penal Code for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 from a complainant for issuing Intikhabs of land measuring 36 kanals and 12 marlas.
An ACB official said the case was registered following a complaint received on February 9, 2012. “Upon receipt of the complaint, a verification was conducted and a trap team was constituted by the Vigilance Organisation Kashmir. During the operation, the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant,” the official said.
After completing the investigation, the agency filed a chargesheet before the competent court on February 2, 2013. The case was subsequently taken up for judicial trial.
On March 16, 2026, the court delivered its judgment, sentencing the accused to two years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was also sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 161 RPC.
“The conviction is a reflection of the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s sustained efforts to curb corruption and ensure transparency and accountability in public service,” the ACB official added.
Meanwhile, in another case, the ACB Udhampur-Reasi wing has filed a chargesheet before the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court Udhampur in FIR No. 33/2017 registered at the then Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (now ACB). The chargesheet has been filed under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Section 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code against Mohd Saleem Banday, the then Patwari Halqa Mand, Tikri, Udhampur, who is presently posted as Girdawar Halqa Judda in Tehsil Arnas, District Reasi.
According to ACB officials, the case was registered on the basis of a verification conducted into allegations that the accused, along with the then Naib Tehsildar Tikri Faquir Chand (now deceased), had illegally attested Mutation No. 2338 dated August 9, 2006 under Section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976.
The mutation pertained to Khasra No. 871 Min measuring one kanal, through which ownership rights were conferred in favour of Chuni Lal, son of Inder Dass, resident of Mand, for one kanal (Gair Mumkin Dukan), and in favour of Subash Chander, Kuldeep Kumar and Mohan Lal, sons of Parmanand, residents of Mand, Tehsil and District Udhampur, for six marlas (Gair Mumkin Dukan).
During verification, ACB found that Section 6 of the Agrarian Reforms Act is applicable only to dwelling houses occupied by a tiller and not to commercial establishments such as shops. “The accused public servants, in connivance with the beneficiaries, abused their official position for ulterior motives and conferred undue benefits by illegally attesting the mutation in violation of established rules,” the ACB official said.
The investigation revealed that the mutation was processed despite the fact that the provisions of Section 6 of the Agrarian Reforms Act were neither applicable nor operative in the said case, thereby facilitating illegal transfer of ownership rights.
Officials further stated that Mohd Saleem Banday was recently arrested by ACB in another trap case registered as FIR No. 04/2026 at Police Station ACB Udhampur-Reasi, Jammu, and is presently lodged in judicial custody. Another case, FIR No. 06/2013, has also been registered against him at the then Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (now ACB), which is currently under investigation.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau remains committed to taking strict action against corrupt practices in government offices and will continue to pursue such cases to ensure that those involved in abuse of official position are brought to justice,” the ACB official said.