ACB files charge-sheet in bribery case against Patwari and touts

The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today presented a charge-sheet before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court Srinagar, in a bribery case involving a Patwari and his associates.The case pertains to FIR No. 35/2022, registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B IPC, against Aijaz Ahmad Shegen, then Patwari Halqa Khanyar Srinagar, and his touts.The investigation revealed that the accused demanded ₹7,000 as a bribe for issuing revenue extracts. During a trap operation, two touts, Showkat Ahmad Budoo and Mohammad Yousuf Dar, were caught red-handed accepting the bribe. The bribe money was recovered, and chemical tests confirmed the presence of phenolphthalein on the hands of the accused touts.Based on the evidence, the investigation established the commission of offences under Sections 7, 7A, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B IPC against the accused. After obtaining the requisite sanction for prosecution, the charge-sheet was presented before the court.The case has been listed for hearing on February 16, 2026.