The sleuths of the Anti Corruption Bureau on Friday trapped and arrested a revenue official for demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant for issuing a land document.
The team also seized cash from the house of a tout of the revenue official.
The ACB spokesman said that Naib Tehsildar Ashok Sharma has been arrested for demanding Rs 25 lakh and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh for issuing fard document.
Rs 9 lakh was also seized from the tout Raman Gupta of Akhnoor, Jammu
“A complaint was received against Ashok Sharma and his associates for demanding a bribe for issuing fard,” said the spokesman.
He said that the complainant alleged that he had applied for issuance of fard in respect of land in the name of his wife situated at Mawa Karora, Sungal Morh, Akhnoor before then patwari Halqa Akhnoor Khas namely Ravinder Bhagat. It was alleged that after filing the application, the patwari Ravinder Bhagat and Naib Tehsildar, Ashok Sharma who were at that time posted in the area, approached the complainant through their tout and demanded a bribe of Rs 30 lakh.
Both of them contacted the complainant and on negotiation the amount was settled at Rs 25 lakh, he said adding, “thereafter, both the revenue officials were transferred but the bribe was still being demanded by Naib Tehsildar.”
It was also alleged that the fard was prepared as the complainant had received the soft copy through whatsapp from one Chiku Gupta, who was the buyer of the land, as the copy was sent to him by the tout.
The original copy of fard, which was stated to be retained by the Naib Tehsildar was not being provided to the complainant as he was demanding the bribe money of Rs 25 lakhs.
The Naib Tehsildar demanded to pay the amount of bribe in parts, though he will provide the fard only after getting the full amount, he said as per the complainant adding that he further alleged that he has been asked by the Naib Tehsildar to bring at least ₹1.50 lakh.
“On this the complainant approached ACB for appropriate action against the officials following which a case was registered and investigation started,” he said and added that a trap was laid during which the accused, presently posted at Gharota, was caught red handed while demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant.
He was arrested on the spot by the ACB team.
The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses while searches were also conducted in the residential houses of all the accused persons and Rs 9 lakh was seized from the residence of a tout Raman Gupta.
