Srinagar, Dec 03, KDC: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday filed a charge-sheet against Aijaz Ahmad Shegen, the then Patwari Halqa Khanyar, along with his two alleged touts, in connection with a 2022 bribery trap case. The charge-sheet was submitted before the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court, Srinagar, in FIR No. 35/2022 registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of the IPC.
According to the ACB, the case originated from a written complaint filed on September 1, 2022, alleging that the Patwari demanded a bribe of ₹7,000 for issuing revenue extracts. During the trap operation conducted by ACB Srinagar, two touts—Showkat Ahmad Budoo and Mohammad Yousuf Dar—were caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount on behalf of the Patwari. The bribe money was recovered on the spot, and subsequent chemical tests confirmed the presence of phenolphthalein powder on the hands of both accused touts.
The investigation, supported by documentary and scientific evidence, established offences under Sections 7, 7A, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B IPC against Patwari Shegen and his accomplices. After securing the mandatory prosecution sanction from the competent authority, the ACB formally presented the charge-sheet before the court.
The case has now been listed for its next hearing on February 16, 2026, the ACB added. (KDC)
