Amid complaints that officers and elected Panchayat members are demanding 'commission' for releasing funds allocated for MGNREGA, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Wednesday arrested a female Sarpanch while accepting a bribe.
Sleuths of ACB arrested a Sarpanch in south Kashmir while accepting a bribe of Rs 6,500 for approving work under MGNREGA.
Earlier on Tuesday, ACB laid a trap and arrested a Junior Engineer of the Rural Development Department in North Kashmir's Kupwara district for accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000/- for preparing MGNREGA bills.
Within 24 hours after arresting a Junior Engineering, ACB arrested a female Sarpanch while accepting the bribe.
"Anti-Corruption Bureau received a complaint, wherein the complainant alleged that Sarpanch Khulchohar, district Anantnag Hafiza Begum wife of Ghulam Qadir Kumar resident of Kulhchohar, block Shangus, Anantnag demanded Rs 6500 on account of approving work files related to works executed under MGNREGA, 14 FC and SBM through the office of BDO Shangus," ACB said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Upon receiving the instant complaint, prima facie offence under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was found made out. Consequently, case FIR No. 03/2022 was registered at police station ACB Anantnag.
Subsequently, the ACB said that a trap team was constituted. "The trap team caught Hafiza Begum while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 6500 from the complainant," the statement ACB mentioned, adding, "She was arrested and taken into custody by ACB sleuths".
The bribe money was also recovered from her possession in presence of independent witnesses. Further investigation of the case was going on.
Earlier a Sarpanch was arrested with heroin
The arrest of Hafiza Begum is not an isolated case, earlier a Sarpanch from remote Doongi block near the Line of Control in district Rajouri was arrested along with a consignment of heroin by police in August 2021.
The identity of the arrested Sarpanch was established as Ch Liyaquat Ali, son of Mohammad Rasheed, a resident of Challas Panchayat in Doongi Block of district Rajouri.
A case FIR No. 79/2021 under sections 8/21/22 of NDPS Act was registered in Sunderbani Police Station. After further investigation, it was established that the arrested Sarpanch had connections with cross-border narcotics smugglers.
