Doda, September 18 — In a landmark judgment reinforcing the fight against graft in public offices, the Anti-Corruption Court in Doda, presided over by Judge Archana Charak, has convicted two engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) for bribery and criminal conspiracy. The convicted officials, Syed Ikhlaq Hussain Peer, then Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), and Raja Faisal, then Junior Engineer (JE), were found guilty in a 2011 case registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, and provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
The case, detailed in FIR No. 14/2011 with the erstwhile Vigilance Organization Jammu (now Anti-Corruption Bureau), was filed under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, alongside Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 161 (public servant taking illegal gratification) of the RPC. As per details available with The Chenab Times, the court sentenced both engineers to one year of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹10,000 fine each under Sections 120-B and 161 of the RPC, and an additional one-year term of rigorous imprisonment with a ₹10,000 fine under Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case originated from a contractor’s complaint, who had completed blacktopping work on the Doda–Ganeka road. While 75% of the payment was released, the accused officials allegedly demanded ₹45,000 as illegal gratification to clear the remaining bill, subjecting the complainant to persistent harassment. Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance Organization orchestrated a trap in Doda city, where Raja Faisal was caught red-handed accepting the bribe in the presence of independent witnesses. He was arrested immediately, and subsequent investigations revealed Syed Ikhlaq Hussain Peer’s complicity in the scheme.
Following a rigorous trial, the court’s verdict underscores its commitment to rooting out corruption in government departments. The conviction is a stark warning to public servants against exploiting their positions for personal gain, particularly in critical infrastructure projects that serve the public interest.
The ruling strengthens ongoing efforts by the Anti-Corruption Bureau to ensure transparency and accountability in public administration, marking a significant step toward fostering integrity in governance.
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Asif Iqbal Naik is a senior journalist and Senior Advisor at The Chenab Times
