J&K ACB caught Range Officer red-handed while accepting bribe in Bandipora

BANDIPORA, 28 December 2023: J&K Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) received a written complaint against Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Range officer,  Kuhihama, Bandipora from a complainant alleging therein that the concerned officer is demanding a bribe as a commission of ₹10,000 for processing his Bill for release of due payments.

The complainant further alleged that he is a contractor and had completed the allotted work for an amount of ₹3,21,000 and that after completing the said work the forest department has already released two bills in his favour—however, the final bill to the tune of about Rs. One lac is pending with the said department for the last one and half month for which concerned Range Officer Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi put a demand for a bribe as his commission of ₹15,000 for all three bills including already two released bills.

That amount after negotiations with the accused Range officer, was settled on ₹10,000 the complainant arranged ₹10,000 and approached ACB with a complaint requesting legal action.

On receipt of the complaint which prima facie disclosed the commission of an offence punishable U/s 7 of the PC Act 1988 (as amended in 2018), accordingly case FIR No. 13/2023 was registered at  PS ACB Baramulla and an investigation was taken up.

During the investigation, a trap team was constituted headed by a DySP rank officer. The team laid a successful trap and caught the accused public servant namely  Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi S/o Late Assadullah Sofi R/o Onagam, Bandipora posted as Range Officer, Kuhihama forest range, Bandipora while demanding and accepting the bribe money of ₹10,000. The bribe amount was recovered from the possession of the accused in the presence of independent witnesses.

The accused was immediately taken into custody after following due process as laid down under law and searches at his residence were conducted.

Further investigation of the case is going on.