Kulgam, April 9, 2026 : The Anti Corruption Bureau Jammu and Kashmir (ACB) on Thursday trapped and arrested a Panchayat Secretary in Kulgam for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 related to clearance of MGNREGA labour bills.
Complaint & Verification
According to officials, the accused—Shiekh Zada Irfan, Panchayat Secretary (VLW) of Block Devsar—had allegedly demanded ₹10,000 from a complainant for clearing labour bills under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which was later negotiated to ₹5,000.
The complainant refused to pay and instead approached the ACB for legal action.
Following this, a discreet verification confirmed the demand, leading to the registration of FIR No. 04/2026 under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Trap & Arrest
A trap team was constituted by the ACB, which successfully caught the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe.
- Accused arrested on the spot
- Bribe amount recovered in presence of independent witnesses
Further action
Subsequently, a search was conducted at the accused’s residence in the presence of an Executive Magistrate and independent witnesses.
Officials confirmed that further investigation in the case is ongoing.
Conclusion
The action highlights ACB’s continued crackdown on corruption and reinforces the message of zero tolerance against bribery in public offices.
