June 5, 2025: According to officials, an employee of the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was arrested on Wednesday for requesting and receiving a bribe to stop an appeal against an acquittal decision from being filed in a Kathua court.
According to the officials, the ACB received a complaint alleging that Sudesh Kumar, a special grade constable assigned as Naib Court in the Munsiff court in Mahanpur, demanded unlawful gratification for blocking the filing of an appeal against the order of acquittal in a case that was still pending adjudication before the court.
They said that in order to keep the complainant from appealing the acquittal order, Kumar had asked a payment of Rs 10,000.
Following discussions, the complainant decided to pay the accused Rs 8,000 in bribes. The complainant sought the ACB to file a legal complaint against the accused public officer because he refused to pay a bribe, they stated.
After the complaint was received, a covert investigation was carried out, which verified Kumar's request for a bribe. Accordingly, the ACB filed a case and launched an investigation, they added.
The team claimed that after successfully setting a trap during the inquiry, Kumar was apprehended while requesting and accepting the Rs 8,000 payment.