Srinagar, Jan 08: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday said it apprehended a scientist in the State Pollution Control Board for demanding and accepting a bribe.
The ACB in a statement said it recently received a written complaint against Dr Bilquees Ara Siddiqui, a Scientist-B in the State Pollution Control Board. The complaint alleges that Dr Bilquees demanded a bribe for expediting the issuance of ‘Consent To Operate’ (CTO) for a bakery unit located at the Industrial Estate in Khunmoh.
According to the complainant, he had applied for CTO in November 2023, and his application was pending with Dr Bilquees, who was allegedly causing unnecessary delays. The situation escalated on the 6th of this month when the complainant visited the Pollution Control Board office, urging Dr Bilquees to process his case. It is claimed that Dr Bilquees demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 for the issuance of CTO. After negotiations, the amount was settled at Rs 5,000.
Rather than succumbing to the demand, the complainant decided to take legal action and reported the incident to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Subsequently, Case FIR No. 02/2024 under U/S 7 PC Act 1988 was registered with PS ACB Srinagar, and an investigation was initiated.
A trap team was formed during the investigation, which successfully caught Dr Bilquees Ara red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of Rs 5,000 from the complainant, the ACB said, adding that the money was recovered on the spot.
The accused has been identified as Dr Bilquees Ara Siddiqui, daughter of Ghulam Nabi, residing in Sarnal (Gulshan Abad), Anantnag, and employed as Scientist-B in the Pollution Control Board, the ACB said, adding that the investigation into the case is ongoing, and further legal actions will be taken as necessary.
