Anti-graft bureau cracks down on PDD official after Rs 30,000 bribe trap in inflated billing case
ACB traps PDD meter reader in Rajouri, arrests him while taking Rs 30,000 bribe to reduce inflated power bill
Jammu, Mar 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday arrested a meter reader posted in the Power Development Department in Rajouri after allegedly catching him red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a complainant in exchange for reducing an abnormally inflated electricity bill. The accused has been identified as Arif Iqbal, and the case has been registered at Police Station ACB Rajouri under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the ACB, the case was registered through FIR No. 03/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, on the basis of a written complaint alleging illegal demand and abuse of official position. Officials said the complainant had earlier run a tyre shop from 2019 to 2021, after which the business was closed, but the electricity connection remained active and bills were being paid regularly.
The complaint states that the consumer had received an electricity bill of Rs 2,497 in February 2026 for the billing period from December 31, 2025 to January 31, 2026, which appeared normal. However, the meter reader allegedly approached him and demanded Rs 50,000, saying he could “take care” of the electricity bill. When the complainant refused and insisted that billing should be based strictly on meter reading, the accused allegedly threatened that the bill amount would be increased.
The matter took a serious turn on March 5, 2026, when the complainant was reportedly handed a fresh electricity bill for the period from January 31, 2026 to February 28, 2026 showing a massive amount of Rs 1,53,890 payable by March 27, 2026. On being questioned about the unusually high figure, the accused allegedly again demanded Rs 50,000 to adjust the bill, which was later negotiated down to Rs 30,000.
Unwilling to pay what he described as illegal gratification, the complainant approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Rajouri and lodged a formal complaint. Acting on this, the ACB constituted a trap team, laid a planned operation and caught the accused red-handed while he was allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe amount of Rs 30,000. He was arrested on the spot after due legal procedure.
The ACB said that following the arrest, searches were also conducted at the residential premises of the accused in Rajouri. The bureau has indicated that further investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances of the case, including the billing irregularity and whether there was any larger pattern of misuse of official position.
