Naib Tehsildar arrested in Kashmir in bribe case

Srinagar, Sep 15: The Jammu &  Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) announced on Sunday that it had caught Naib Tehsildar of Uri, Altaf —, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a complainant.

According to an official statement issued to media on Sunday, the ACB received a complaint alleging that Naib Tehsildar Altaf —- was demanding a bribe of Rs 10 lakh for preparing land documents and submitting a report to Tehsildar Uri concerning an application filed by the complainant. The complainant had purchased a 10-marla plot, under Survey No. 307 at Rajarwani, Uri, from Mohammad Sadeeq of Bandi Brahmana, Uri, for Rs 5 lakh. However, the seller failed to provide the necessary revenue documents, delaying the land’s mutation in favor of the buyer.

Seeking to resolve the issue, the complainant approached Tehsildar Uri, who instructed Patwari Pardeep —– to inspect the site and submit a report. When the complainant met with the Patwari, he was introduced to Naib Tehsildar Altaf ——-, who demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh. The Sarpanch of the area later negotiated the amount, and it was agreed that the complainant would pay Rs 50,000 as an initial installment before the report was filed.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant filed a written complaint with the ACB, requesting legal action. The ACB discreetly verified the allegations, confirming that both Altaf —— and Patwari Pradeep — were involved in the bribery attempt. The Patwari had facilitated the meeting with the Naib Tehsildar without preparing any report, urging the complainant to comply with the bribe demand.

Based on the investigation’s findings, an FIR (No. 12/2024) was registered on September 14, 2024, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018), against Naib Tehsildar Altaf —- for demanding a bribe, and under Section 12 of the same Act against Patwari Pardeep —- for abetment.

A trap was set by a team led by a Dy.SP of the ACB Baramulla, and the Naib Tehsildar was apprehended while accepting Rs 50,000 from the complainant. The bribe money was recovered in the presence of independent witnesses, and Altaf —— was arrested on the spot after completing all legal formalities.

It was further revealed that Altaf —— had recently been booked by ACB Baramulla in another case (FIR No. 08/2024) involving the misuse of his official position and manipulation of revenue records. That case is still under investigation.

The accused has been presented before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court in Baramulla, and has been remanded to ten days in police custody. Investigations into the role of the Patwari and Sarpanch are ongoing.