ACB arrests Range officer, Forest guard Kokernag for accepting bribe

Srinagar, Jun 30 : Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday trapped and arrested Range officer and Forest Guard, Kokernag, Anantnag for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 for allotment of timber.

Anti Corruption Bureau received a complaint alleging therein that Sohail Unis Shikari, Range officer, Kokernag, Anantnag is demanding bribe of Rs 22,000 through Forest Guard Ghulam Muhammad Naikoo for processing the file of the complainant for allotment of timber Kairoo (Kair) for house construction, a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads.

“The complainant managed Rs 10,000 and approached ACB for legal action against the corrupt officials,” the statement said.

It added that the contents of complaint prima facie disclose the commission of offence punishable U/S 7 of the PC Act 1988 by public servants namely Sohail Unis Shikari, Range officer and Ghulam Mohd. Naikoo, Forest Guard, Kokernag, Anantnag.

“Accordingly a case under FIR number 10/2022 was registered in Police Station Anti Corruption Bureau, Anantnag and the investigation started.”

Immediately after registration of the case, a trap team was constituted, the statement said, adding that the team caught the accused forest guard Ghulam Mohd. Naikoo while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant.

“He was arrested on the spot by the ACB team. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses. Sohail Unis Shikari, Range officer, Kokernag, Anantnag was also arrested by the ACB team,” it said, adding that further investigation is going on—(KNO)