KPDCL official arrested for bribery in Sopore

SRINAGAR — A Senior Assitant-cum-Cashier working in the office of Executive Engineer, KPDCL Sub Transmission Division, Sopore has been arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) J&K for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹9000, the anti-graft agency said on Monday.

As per the news agency CNS, ACB said it received a complaint against Mohammad Shafi Bhat, Senior Assistant-cum-Cashier in the office of the Executive Engineer, KPDCL, Sub Transmission Division Sopore, alleging therein the demand of bribe of ₹10,000 for release of security amount to the tune of ₹15,560.

“It was alleged by the complainant in his complaint that he is running a firm namely M/S Print Plus at Hazratbal Srinagar and in the year 2021, he had supplied stationery items and log books to the office of Executive Engineer, KPDCL, Sopore for which the bill payment against the supplied items was made by the department but the security deposit amount of ₹15,560 is pending with the KPDCL, Sopore,” said the ACB in a statement.

He further alleged that he approached the department for the release of the security amount many times but one cashier Mohammad Shafi kept delaying on one pretext or another and finally demanded ₹10,000 as a bribe from him for doing so and that he had collected proof against said cashier regarding the demand of a bribe. Under these circumstances, he approached ACB with a written complaint requesting legal action against the Cashier for demanding of bribe, the anti-graft agency said.

“As the contents of complaint prima facie disclose the commission of an offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (read with its amendment Act 2018) by the accused public servant namely Mohammad Shafi, Cashier in the office of the Executive Engineer, KPDCL Sub Transmission Division Sopore District Baramulla, accordingly a case FIR No. 09/2024 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (read with its amendment Act 2018) was registered against him at Police Station, Anti Corruption Bureau, Baramulla and investigations were initiated,” it added.

During the course of investigations, ACB said that the accused public servant was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe from the complainant by a specially constituted team of ACB headed by a DySP rank officer.

“He was immediately taken into custody after completing the legal formalities. The bribe amount was also recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses. Further investigations into the case are going on,” ACB added in the statement.