Srinagar, Dec 01, KDC: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday filed a chargesheet against Dr. Bilquees Ara Sidique, then In-Charge Scientist–C at the Pollution Control Committee (PCC) Srinagar, in a bribery trap case.
ACB in a statement to news agency Kashmir Dot Com said that the chargesheet was filed before the Additional Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Srinagar in FIR No. 02/2024 registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The case was registered on January 8, 2024, following a written complaint alleging that the accused officer had demanded a bribe of ₹20,000 for issuing a Consent to Operate (CTO) certificate for a bakery unit located in Industrial Estate Khunmoh. Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap during which the accused official was caught red-handed while accepting ₹5,000 from the complainant.
The bribe money was recovered on the spot, and subsequent chemical tests confirmed the presence of phenolphthalein on the accused’s hands, establishing the demand and acceptance of the bribe.
“Based on the evidence gathered during investigation, the offence under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act stands established against the accused public servant,” ACB said.
After obtaining the mandatory sanction for prosecution from the government, the ACB submitted the chargesheet in court on December 1, 2025. The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on February 12, 2025. (KDC)
