The Jammu Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Mubarak Ahmad Ganie, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Public Works Department (R&B) Division Sopore, for accepting a bribe of ₹25,000 from a local contractor.
The arrest followed a complaint that Ganie had been demanding a 2% commission as a bribe to process the contractor’s bill.
According to the complainant, who is overseeing the construction of a Lecture Block (G+2) at the Government Degree College (GDC) Sopore, AEE Ganie demanded a 2% commission on the current bill and previously cleared bills as a condition for processing the payment. Despite the Junior Engineer (JE) having prepared and checked the 8th running bill, Ganie refused to forward it for payment without receiving the bribe.
Unwilling to comply, the contractor approached the ACB with a formal complaint, requesting legal action against the AEE. Acting swiftly, the ACB verified the complaint and found prima facie evidence of misconduct, warranting an investigation under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
An FIR (No. 13-2024) was registered, and a trap team, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP), was formed. On October 16, 2024, the team successfully trapped and arrested Ganie, catching him red-handed while accepting the ₹25,000 bribe at his office. The bribe money was recovered on the spot in the presence of independent witnesses, and additional cash was found during a personal search.
Following the arrest, Ganie’s residence and official quarters were searched, and incriminating documents were seized in the presence of a magistrate and independent witnesses. He was presented before the Special Judge of the Anti-Corruption Court in Baramulla and was remanded to police custody for nine days.
Further investigations into the case are ongoing.