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Srinagar, Sep 25 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation has arrested an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) for demanding and accepting bribe from a contractor, an official spokesman said today.

He said during the investigations in a case, the Vigilance Organisation laid a successful trap and arrested Public Health Engineering (PHE) Sub-Division Sonawari AEE Farooq Ahmed Khuroo for demanding and accepting bribe from a contractor.

The money received by the accused AEE was also recovered by the Vigilance sleuths at his instance, the spokesman added.

He said a complaint was lodged with the Vigilance Organisation on September 22 by a contractor, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, alleging that he had constructed a water reservoir of 80,000 gallon capacity at Sheikh Mohalla Pehlipora.

For test check of third and final bills of Rs 4,24,648, the AEE demanded Rs 30,000 from him as bribe. After a lot of persuasion, the accused consented to pass the bill for a bribe of Rs 15,000.

A Case was registered and investigations launched immediately. A team of Vigilance Officers accompanied the complainant to Sumbal where he paid Rs 15,000 to the accused AEE.

He immediately escaped from the place in a car. However, enroute Srinagar, the AEE abandoned the car and boarded a bus in order to escape from the clutches of Vigilance team, the spokesman said.

He said the Vigilance Officers followed and apprehended him near Jehangir Hotel here.

On sustained questioning, the accused AEE disclosed to have hidden the money in an advertising board near the Sumbal crossing on the Srinagar-Baramulla road. The money was seized and the accused arrested, the spokesman added.

UNI AG SY KN1607