PDD employee arrested for taking bribe from scribe in Kashmir

Srinagar, June 1 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation today caught red handed a Power Development Department (PDD) lineman while accepting bribe of Rs 2,000 from a journalist with a local English newspaper for drawing electricity without a meter.

A vigilance spokesman said PDD lineman Mohammad Afzal Ganie, posted at the Court Road area here was arrested while accepting Rs bribe from one journalist Farooq Ahmad Dar working with Asian Express, a daily English newspaper from here, for allowing him to draw electricity bypassing the digital meter.

Dar had lodged a complaint with the Vigilance Organisation, alleging that a digital meter was installed by the PDD outside his premises about a year ago.

But, soon the meter developed fault and Dar requested the accused lineman to rectify the fault. The accused told the scribe to draw electricity bypassing the digital meter against a monthly payment of Rs 500 to him.

The spokesman said the electricity was later withdrawn following which he approached higher officials who ordered restoration of the line. The line was restored for some time only and again disconnected, he added.

The journalist then approached the lineman who demanded Rs 1500 per month for allowing him to use the electricity. However, the consumer requested the lineman to rectify the meter so that he could pay the tariff as per the consumption.

A case was registered and investigations taken up. The vigilance officials laid a trap and caught the accused red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 2000 from the journalist.

In another bribery case, the spokesman said the Vigilance Organisation produced a charge-sheet against an Assistant Soil Conservation Officer and a Soil Conservation Assistant.

He said a charge-sheet was produced in the court of the Special Judge Anti Corruption, Kashmir, against Dara Singh, the then Assistant Soil Conservation Officer and Altaf Hussain Masoodi, the then Soil Conservation Assistant, who were caught red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 on March 29 last year.

The Vigilance Organisation had registered a case on a complaint lodged by Siraj-ud-din alleging that the accused were demanding Rs 10,000 as illegal gratification for release of payment to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh for executing a work.

The vigilance officials laid a trap and arrested the accused red handed while accepting the bribe, the spokesman added.

UNI