In a recent development, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) successfully apprehended Forester Tulail Gurez for accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. The arrest took place in Gurez District Bandipora, where the forester had demanded the bribe in exchange for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to a contractor.
The ACB’s actions came in response to a written complaint filed by the contractor, who alleged that he was executing work under the JJM (Jal Jeevan Mission) scheme in the special sub-division of Gurez. The complainant claimed to have been subjected to harassment by Forester Tulail Gurez, who demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 in order to grant the necessary NOC.
According to the complainant, he had received multiple work assignments from various government departments, all of which he completed according to the allotted specifications. In 2022, the contractor received two separate work orders under the JJM Scheme, issued by the Executive Engineer of the special sub-division in his favor. These works involved the installation, replacement, and improvement of GI Pipes for the retrofitting of water supply schemes in the villages of Sardab and Gulshanpora in the Tulail area of Gurez District.
The complainant further alleged that while his laborers were engaged in laying the pipeline in the Gratnar Gulshanpora Budogam Tulail area, Forester Mohd Sultan of Tulail abruptly halted the work, citing the need for an NOC. Forester Sultan then demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 to allow the work to proceed.
Upon receiving the complaint, the ACB discreetly verified the allegations and found them to be true. The investigation confirmed that Forester Tulail Gurez was indeed soliciting a bribe from the contractor to settle the NOC matter and facilitate the smooth progress of work in the forested area.
Based on the findings and recommendations of the Enquiry Officer, a prima facie case was established against Forester Mohd Sultan under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Consequently, Case FIR No. 03/2023 was registered at the ACB Police Station in Baramulla against the accused public servant. The ACB swiftly formed a team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) to lay a trap and apprehend the forester.
The operation proved successful as the ACB team caught Forester Tulail Gurez red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant in Gurez District Bandipora. The accused was immediately arrested on the spot, and the bribe money of Rs 30,000 was recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses.
Further investigations into the case are currently underway as the ACB seeks to gather additional evidence and information related to the bribery incident.
(Inputs from news agency KNO)
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