M.K Kaw
Jammu, June 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Ghulam Rasool Bhat, the Tehsildar of Qaziabad in Handwara, north Kashmir, on Saturday for accepting a Rs 50,000 bribe, the second installment of a Rs 1 lakh demand. The arrest followed a sting operation where Bhat was caught red-handed at his private residence, along with his accomplice, Rafi Ahmad Lone, a tout from Pathora Kralgund, Kupwara.
According to an ACB spokesperson, a Handwara resident lodged a complaint alleging that Bhat demanded Rs 1 lakh to issue permissions for cutting walnut trees. The complainant, citing financial hardship, paid Rs 50,000 upfront under pressure but was asked for the remaining amount before permissions were granted. Following discreet verification, the ACB registered Case FIR No. 04/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) at PS ACB Baramulla. During the trap, authorities recovered the Rs 50,000 bribe and an additional Rs 79,000 in cash from Bhat’s residence.
Both accused were presented before the Additional Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court, Baramulla, which remanded them to police custody for seven days. Searches are ongoing at Bhat’s residential and official premises. Notably, Bhat faced a prior ACB case in 2021 for illegal land mutations, with additional verifications pending against him.
In a separate case, the ACB apprehended Head Constable Roshan Din of Kathua Police Station on June 20, 2025, after he evaded capture during a raid last week. Din, implicated in Case FIR No. 12/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, allegedly accepted a Rs 15,000 bribe but fled, discarding the money in bushes along the Jammu-Pathankot highway. The ACB recovered the tainted money with independent witnesses present. Further investigation is underway.
The ACB continues to probe both cases to uncover potential involvement of other officials. |
