ACB traps, arrests fair price shop dealer for bribe

Srinagar, July 09: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday said it trapped and arrested a fair price shop dealer from Kulgam for demanding and accepting a bribe.
The ACB in a statement issued here said it trapped and arrested Ajaz Ahmad Malik, a fair price shop dealer from Pati Bongam Kulgam in south Kashmir, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000.
The bureau said it received a complaint against Malik, son of Nazir Ahmad Malik from Khuri Batpora Kulgam. The complaint alleged that Malik was denying the complainant their monthly ration under the pretext of submitting KYC documentation. “Despite multiple approaches, Malik continued to delay the process and demanded a bribe of Rs 7,500 to release the ration and complete the KYC process. The complainant managed to arrange Rs 4,000 and approached the ACB to take necessary action against Malik,” it said.
Upon receiving the complaint, the ACB registered a case FIR No. 03/2024 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at ACB Police Station Anantnag and began an investigation. “A trap team was constituted, which successfully caught Malik red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of Rs 4,000 from the complainant. The bribe money was recovered from Malik’s possession in the presence of independent witnesses,” the ACB said, adding that further investigation into the case is ongoing.