Srinagar Feb 13 : In a decisive anti-graft operation, the Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Srinagar trapped and arrested Assistant Sub-Inspector Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, resident of Newa Pulwama and Investigating Officer for FIR No. 88/2025 at Police Station Bemina, while he demanded and accepted a ₹8,000 bribe from a complainant—despite the case already being formally challaned and forwarded to court.
The episode unfolded after ACB received a detailed written complaint detailing Khan’s illicit demand for gratification. Even post-challan submission to competent judicial authorities, the officer allegedly pressured the complainant, threatening harassment, false implications, or procedural delays unless his “personal facilitation fee” was paid. Such tactics exploited the complainant’s vulnerability in a resolved matter, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities where public servants leverage post-investigation leverage for extortion.
ACB promptly launched discreet verification to corroborate the claims, which prima facie established the corruption nexus. This greenlit registration of FIR No. 04/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended)—the cornerstone provision criminalizing public officials demanding undue advantage. A specialized trap team, comprising seasoned investigators, was swiftly constituted and deployed, laying a meticulously planned sting at a pre-verified location tied to the Bemina PS jurisdiction.
In a textbook execution, the team apprehended Khan red-handed as he accepted the tainted ₹8,000 cash directly from the complainant, with the entire transaction witnessed by independent attestors to ensure evidentiary integrity. The bribe money was immediately recovered from his possession, sealing the case under tamper-proof protocols. Khan was taken into custody without resistance, marking another blow to entrenched graft within law enforcement ranks.
This arrest underscores ACB’s zero-tolerance mandate amid J&K’s post-Article 370 governance reforms, where public trust hinges on accountability. Khan’s role as IO in a challaned FIR exemplifies how minor functionaries can abuse discretion for pecuniary gain, eroding faith in policing. Preliminary probes suggest isolated demand, but deeper scrutiny into his case history, financial trails, and potential accomplices is underway to unearth networks.
Further investigation continues, with possibilities of custodial interrogation, asset forfeiture under PC Act provisions, and vigilance proceedings for departmental debarment. ACB urges citizens to report via helplines, reinforcing that “corruption has no sanctuary” in the UT’s renewed administrative ethos. This case joins a spate of recent ACB successes, signaling intensified vigilance against uniformed offenders.
