The Anti-Corruption Bureau in Jammu and Kashmir mentioned Tuesday it had arrested an elected member of the District Growth Council (DDC) for allegedly demanding a Rs 5 lakh bribe from a Srinagar-based businessman who additionally runs a boarding faculty in Harwan.
In a press release, the ACB recognized the accused as Mohammad Shaban Chopan, a member of the Srinagar District Growth Council. An alleged tout working for him has additionally been arrested.
A clean cheque signed by the complainant and Rs 50,000 given by him in money have been recovered from the arrested DDC member, the ACB mentioned.
The complainant has claimed that he has been working a boarding faculty with a swimming pool and a visitor home in Verify Dara, Srinagar’s Harwan, for a while. He mentioned that an official inspection was carried out at his website, and he found Chopan, a resident of Dara, had organized it.
Later, Chopan, by way of Ghulam Mohammad Khathana, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh and requested the complainant to pay Rs 50,000 as the primary instalment together with a clean cheque, the ACB mentioned. The complainant was allegedly informed he ought to pay the remaining quantity after getting the required clearances.
Performing on the criticism, the ACB mentioned it carried out a discreet verification by way of a chosen officer, which confirmed the allegations.
Subsequently, a lure crew was constituted, and a profitable lure was laid, the ACB mentioned.
Story continues beneath this advert
The ACB mentioned that throughout the operation, the accused and his tout have been caught allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 50,000 and a clean signed cheque from the complainant, including that they have been instantly apprehended.
The District Growth Councils have been envisioned as a 3rd tier of governance in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. A laws to this impact was introduced in by the Ministry of Residence Affairs on October 16, 2020, by way of an modification to the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.