Jammu, 27th March: The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday arrested two forest department officials in Rajouri district after they were allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a local resident. The arrested officials have been identified as Forester Ajaz Ahmed and Forest Guard Mohd Zaman. Their arrest came after the ACB acted on a complaint alleging harassment, intimidation and repeated illegal demands for money in connection with construction work on private land.
According to the ACB, the complainant stated that he had been carrying out digging work near his house for the construction of a septic tank and an underground water tank when, on March 13, Forest Guard Mohd Zaman allegedly intervened and stopped the work. He reportedly claimed that the land in question belonged to the forest department. The complainant, however, maintained that the land was his private property. Despite this, the official allegedly did not relent and is said to have demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 to allow the work to continue.
The complaint further alleged that under pressure and fear of official obstruction, the complainant was compelled to pay Rs 30,000, which was transferred to an account allegedly provided by the accused officials. Even after receiving this amount, the two officials allegedly continued to threaten and harass him, demanding an additional Rs 10,000.
Unable to bear the repeated pressure, the complainant approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Rajouri and formally lodged a complaint. Acting swiftly on the allegations, the ACB laid a trap and caught both officials while allegedly receiving bribe money amounting to Rs 7,000. The officials were arrested on the spot, and the tainted money was recovered in the presence of independent witnesses, officials said.
The ACB has also conducted searches at the residences of the accused in Rajouri as part of the investigation. The case has once again highlighted concerns over abuse of official position and the harassment faced by common citizens in securing basic permissions and carrying out routine construction activities. Further investigation in the matter is underway.