JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested a revenue official in Reasi district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 to carry out demarcation of a complainant’s ancestral land, an act he was duty-bound to perform free of charge.
The Bureau said a case (FIR No. 04/2026) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered against Mohd Saleem Banday, Girdawar, Halqa Judda, Tehsil Arnas, after he allegedly sought illegal gratification for the land demarcation. The complainant, refusing to pay, approached the ACB seeking legal action.
Following a discreet verification that confirmed the demand for bribe, the FIR was lodged at the ACB Police Station Udhampur and a formal investigation launched. A special trap team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police was constituted, which laid a trap and caught Banday red-handed while he was allegedly receiving ₹10,000 from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses.
The officer was arrested on the spot and the tainted money was recovered from his possession in accordance with legal procedures. A subsequent search of his residence at Sallian Talab, Udhampur, was carried out in the presence of a Magistrate. The Bureau added that two FIRs were already registered earlier against the accused at the same police station.
