Jammu, March 9 :
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir has arrested a head constable posted at Police Post Talwara in Reasi district after he was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 from a complainant.
The arrest follows the registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused police official for allegedly demanding illegal gratification to manipulate the course of an investigation.
According to officials, the case has been registered as FIR No. 05/2026 under Section 07 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 at Police Station ACB Udhampur.
The accused has been identified as Head Constable Parvaiz Ahmed Bhati, son of Late Mohammad Din, a resident of Village Mandhar in Tehsil Haveli of Poonch district, presently posted at Police Post Talwara in Reasi.
Officials said the complainant approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau alleging that the accused official had demanded a bribe for manipulating the course of investigation in a case registered against him at Police Post Talwara.
According to the complaint, the head constable had allegedly sought the bribe in exchange for dropping certain sections of law in the case that was under his investigation.
The complainant, unwilling to pay the bribe, reported the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau seeking legal action against the public servant.
Upon receiving the complaint, ACB conducted a discreet verification which, according to officials, corroborated the allegations regarding the demand for bribe.
Following the verification, the Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a formal case and initiated an investigation into the matter.
During the investigation, a trap team headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police was constituted to verify the allegations.
Officials said the team laid a trap and the accused public servant was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting ₹5,000 as bribe from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses.
The accused was immediately taken into custody by the ACB team after completing the required legal formalities.
Officials said the bribe amount was recovered from the possession of the accused in the presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap proceedings.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau also conducted a search at the residential quarters of the accused at Talwara in the presence of a magistrate as part of the investigation.
Officials said further investigation into the case is underway. [KNT]