J&K ACB traps and arrests Patwari in Ramban for accepting 2,500 bribe
Jammu, July 10 (KINS): The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday trapped and arrested “Muzamil Salam, Patwari of Patwar Halqa Pogal Paristan in Ramban district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of 2,500 from a complainant seeking correction in revenue records”.
According to an official statement issued to news agency KINS, the ACB said that it “received a complaint alleging that the complainant had applied for the correction of his father’s name, which was wrongly entered in the revenue records at the office of Tehsildar Ukhral. The Tehsildar had directed the concerned Patwari, Muzamil Salam, to carry out the necessary changes”.
“However, instead of performing his official duty, the Patwari initially demanded 20,000 from the complainant for making the correction. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to 2,500”.
“Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB, requesting legal action against the accused public servant. Following the receipt of the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which confirmed the demand of the bribe”.
“Subsequently, FIR No. 03/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), was registered at Police Station ACB Doda, and an investigation was launched.
A trap team, led by a Gazetted Rank Officer, was constituted to catch the accused red-handed. The operation was successful, and Muzamil Salam, son of Salam Ud Din Shah, resident of Kaskoot, Tehsil Banihal, District Ramban—currently posted as Patwari, Patwar Halqa Pogal Paristan—was caught red-handed while accepting ₹2,500 from the complainant, in the presence of independent witnesses.
The accused was arrested on the spot following proper legal procedures, and the bribe money was recovered from his possession.
Further investigation into the case is underway”.(KINS)
