Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) on Thursday arrested a senior official in Sericulture Department while demanding and?accepting a bribe in Budgam district, officials said.
"SVO caught red-handed Abdul Rehman Bhat, working as Deputy Director Sericulture Department, while demanding and accepting a bribe amount of Rs 12,000 from the complainant at Sericulture Office Budgam," officials said.
They said the complainant Ali Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Atina village of Beerwah in Budgam, working as Mulberry man in the department, lodged a written complaint with Police Station SVO here, stating that Abdul Rehman Bhat was demanding a bribe amount of Rs 12,000 in order to release his arrears due to him for his in-situ promotion.
"Since the complainant was against paying the bribe who accordingly approached SVO with an amount of Rs 12,000 for necessary action," the officials said.
On receipt of the complaint, the officials said, a case was registered and investigation taken up.
A team of SVO officials laid a trap in which Abdul Rehman Bhat was caught while demanding and accepting the bribe amount from the complainant, they said.
The accused was arrested on the spot and was taken into police custody, the officials said, adding that entire proceedings were conducted in presence of an independent witness.