Srinagar, June 4, KDC: In a chilling reminder of how deep-rooted corruption can seep into the justice system, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday trapped and arrested a court staffer red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹8,000 in Kathua district.
The accused, Sgct Sudesh Kumar—posted as Naib Courty in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Mahanpur—had allegedly demanded money to ensure that no appeal would be filed against an acquittal order in a pending criminal case.
According to a statement issued by the ACB to Srinagar-based news-gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com, the complainant approached the bureau after the accused sought ₹10,000 in exchange for “preventing” an appeal against the acquittal verdict. After negotiations, the bribe amount was settled at ₹8,000. Reluctant to pay the illegal demand, the complainant instead chose to expose the act by filing a formal complaint with the ACB.
Following preliminary verification which confirmed the allegations, the ACB registered FIR No. 10/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. A trap team headed by a gazetted officer was swiftly constituted, which subsequently caught the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of independent witnesses.
Sudesh Kumar was arrested on the spot, and the bribe amount was recovered from his possession. The bureau further revealed that a search of his residence was underway, conducted in the presence of a magistrate and independent witnesses. The ACB said that further investigation in the case is ongoing. (KDC)
