Srinagar/Jammu, Dec 31 (KDC): The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday released its Year-End Report 2025, highlighting sustained, multi-pronged and outcome-driven action against corruption, combining punitive enforcement, preventive vigilance, systemic reform, training, and public outreach to strengthen transparency and accountability in public administration.
According to official figures, the Bureau investigated 78 corruption-related cases in 2025. The caseload included 36 trap cases involving the demand and acceptance of bribes by public servants, 18 disproportionate-assets (DA) cases, 15 cases of abuse of official position, 08 cases linked to a major land scam involving fraudulent alienation of custodian land, and 01 case related to illegal appointments, officials said.
ACB also filed charge-sheets in 43 cases before competent courts, reflecting prompt and professional investigation. Among the cases adjudicated, 07 cases resulted in conviction, leading to the conviction of 13 accused persons, including 13 public servants/others found guilty, police said, reaffirming that investigations remain evidence-based and legally watertight.
To plug procedural vulnerabilities prone to corruption, the Bureau conducted 703 verifications (Miscellaneous and Ors, including backlog matters), resulting in the successful disposal of 764 matters, including 764 verifications cleared, officials disclosed. The disposal tally also included matters pending from previous years, with 764 closed during 2025 alone, reflecting improved internal processing and inter-agency coordination.
ACB further issued 41 alert notes and 91 government advisories during 2025, targeting systemic deficiencies, procedural lapses, and corruption-prone domains identified through verifications, complaint scrutiny, and surprise checks. These communications, according to officials, were aimed at tightening internal controls, improving transparency, plugging loopholes, and preventing recurrence of corrupt practices.
District Vigilance Officers (DVOs), acting as the primary interface between the public, departments and the Bureau, played a critical role in reinforcing the anti-corruption framework. Over the last five years, DVOs referred 15,197 vigilance matters, of which 12,406 were disposed of, reflecting a disposal rate of about 90%, ACB said. In 2025 alone, 3,960 matters were disposed of by DVOs, officials said, marking the highest annual departmental-level disposal.
In 2025, the Bureau carried out 18 new Joint Surprise Checks (JSCs) and concluded 19 JSCs (including backlog checks) during the year. The Bureau also registered 25 Preliminary Enquiries (PEs), of which 20 were finalised and disposed of within 2025 itself, officials said. Additionally, 25 Preliminary Enquiries were registered, showing proactive intake, while 20 were concluded, ensuring swift probe cycles.
ACB placed strong emphasis on capacity building of officers and investigating staff through continuous training. The Bureau conducted multiple expert-led workshops and interactive sessions with professionals from universities, banks, and specialised institutions, incorporating case-study-based learning for complex investigative scenarios, police said.
ACB has also initiated planning for future specialised training, including courses for newly inducted officers in coordination with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other investigative agencies, besides structured onboarding modules, officials added.
Public engagement remained a priority, with ACB organising Vigilance Awareness Programmes on two occasions during 2025. These programmes included workshops and interactive sessions with students, citizens and government employees, highlighting the social and economic harms of corruption and promoting ethical conduct, integrity, and transparent public service, officials said.
During these sessions, the public was encouraged to report corruption through confidential and accessible complaint mechanisms, ensuring whistleblower safety and anonymity, ACB reiterated.
J&K ACB reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on corruption, assuring citizens that all complaints are handled fairly, confidentially, and professionally, urging sustained cooperation to build a corruption-free governance environment across Jammu and Kashmir. (KDC)
