Srinagar, Oct 12 (KNO): The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday caught a Senior Assistant of the Sub-Division Agriculture Office, Handwara, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 for the release of a pending tractor subsidy bill under the HADP scheme, officials said.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the ACB said the accused, Irshad Ahmad Peer, was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe.
The ACB’s Police Station Baramulla had received a written complaint alleging that Peer had demanded rupees 40,000 from the complainant for releasing a subsidy bill for a tractor purchased by the complainant's brother under the HADP scheme. A discreet verification was conducted, during which the allegations of bribe demand were found to be true, the statement said.
Following the complaint and verification, a case (FIR No. 06/2026) under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, was registered at ACB Police Station Baramulla on October 12, and an investigation was taken up.
The ACB said a trap team was constituted after the registration of the case, with independent witnesses associated as per procedure. The team subsequently caught the accused red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe of rupees 40,000, which was recovered from his possession. The accused has been arrested and further investigation is in progress, the statement added—(KNO)