SRINAGAR, Aug 20: Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a Village Level Worker (VLW) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
ACB on Tuesday said it received a complaint on the helpline number from a resident of village Kukrossa, Kupwara in which the complainant alleged that he is a very poor person and a house under PMAY was sanctioned in his favour by the Block Development Officer, Vilgam.
The complainant received two instalments of monetary assistance of Rs 50,000 and Rs 75000 from the concerned department through a bank account. The construction of the house of the complainant was incomplete due to the non-receipt of the final instalment of Rs 50,000 which was due in March 2024.
The complainant further alleged that he visited the Block Development Officer (BDO) office, vilgam many times, but the payment was refused on one pretext or another by Nazir Ahmad, VLW of the concerned Block, who was demanding a bribe of Rs 20,000 for release of the final payment.
The complainant approached ACB through helpline number 9419678060 for legal action against the concerned VLW, the statement said.
Upon receipt of the information, a case was registered at PS ACB Baramulla and an investigation was taken up.
During the investigation, a trap team headed by a senior rank officer laid a successful trap and caught the accused VLW while demanding and accepting the bribe money of Rs 20,000 from the complainant.
The bribe amount was recovered from the possession of the accused public servant in the presence of independent witnesses.
The accused was immediately taken into custody after following due process of law.
Further investigation of the case is going on, the ACB statement said.
