Srinagar, March 16, KNT: A special anti-corruption court in Srinagar has convicted a revenue official in a bribery trap case dating back to 2012, sentencing him to imprisonment and fines for demanding and accepting a bribe in connection with land documents, officials said.
The verdict was delivered by Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court Srinagar Dr Tasleem Arief Ganie, who found Bashir Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Wahab Dar and a resident of Arreh Mohanpora in Kulgam district, guilty in the case.
Officials said the accused was serving as a girdawar at the time of the offence and had demanded a bribe from a complainant for issuing land records.
According to the prosecution, the official demanded Rs 1,000 from the complainant in exchange for providing Intikhabs related to land measuring 36 kanals and 12 marlas.
The case was registered following a complaint filed on February 9, 2012, after which a trap was laid by the Vigilance Organisation Kashmir, now known as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Investigators said the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe during the trap operation.
After completing the investigation, authorities filed a chargesheet in the case on February 2, 2013, and the matter proceeded before the anti-corruption court for trial.
Delivering the judgment on March 16, 2026, the court convicted the accused under Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 161 of the Ranbir Penal Code.
The court sentenced the accused to two years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 under the corruption law.
In addition, the court awarded one year of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for the offence punishable under Section 161 of the Ranbir Penal Code.
Officials said the conviction followed a lengthy judicial process that began with the trap case registered by the vigilance authorities more than a decade ago.
Meanwhile, in a separate corruption case, the Anti-Corruption Bureau Udhampur-Reasi has filed a chargesheet against another revenue official in connection with alleged misuse of official powers in a land mutation case.
Officials said the chargesheet was presented before the court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Udhampur against Mohd Saleem Banday, who was serving as patwari of Halqa Mand Tikri in Udhampur at the time of the alleged offence and is currently posted as girdawar in Halqa Judda in Arnas tehsil of Reasi district.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly attested mutation No. 2338 dated August 9, 2006 under Section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act in favour of certain beneficiaries in connection with land recorded under Khasra No. 871 Min measuring one kanal.
Officials said the verification conducted by the Vigilance Organisation revealed that the provisions of Section 6 of the Agrarian Reforms Act were not applicable in the case because the property involved consisted of shops and not a dwelling house, which is a requirement under the law.
Investigators alleged that the official, along with other public servants and beneficiaries, abused his official position to confer undue benefits and violated established rules while attesting the mutation.
Officials said a Naib Tehsildar who was also associated with the case has since died.
Authorities added that the accused Mohd Saleem Banday was recently arrested in a separate trap case registered in 2026 and is currently in judicial custody.
Another corruption case registered against him in 2013 remains under investigation, officials said. [KNT]
