A forest guard and a forester today landed in the net of Jammu and Kashmir Anti-corruption Bureau in a bribery case.
An official spokesperson here said that J&K Anti Corruption Bureau today registered a formal case against Mohammad Zaman, Forest Guard, and Ajaz Ahmed, Forester, posted in Forest Department Bakori, Rajouri, on the basis of a complaint.
The complainant said he was digging a septic tank and underground tank in his land, where his house is already constructed.
On March 13, Md. Zaman, Forest Guard, came to his house and stopped the digging work, on the pretext that the land falls under the forest department. The complainant told him that this is his own land, but he did not listen. He demanded a bribe of rupees 50,000/- and threatened that if the complainant does not give him the bribe amount he would not allow him to work.
“Due to fear and pressure, the complainant was forced to pay ₹30,000 which was transferred on the spot to the account given by the guard but again both of them kept on threatening and harassing the complainant to pay more bribe of ₹10,000,” he said.
The complainant upon being harassed and forced to pay illegal gratification to the suspect officials, approached and lodged a written complaint in the Police Station ACB Rajouri for taking legal action against them.
After registration of the case, a team of officers of ACB Police Station Rajouri was constituted to lay a trap.
The ACB team caught red-handed both accused Mohd. Zaman, Forest Guard, and Ajaz Ahmed, Forester, both posted in Forest Department, Range Kandi Rajouri, while demanding and accepting bribe of ₹7,000 from the complainant and arrested them on spot.
Subsequently, searches were also conducted in the residential house of the accused persons situated at Rajouri, he said.
Further investigation in the case is going on, said the spokesman.
