Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 16: Additional Sessions Judge Udhampur SC Katal has framed charges against Puran Chand Bhagat, Divisional Manager State Forest Corporation in a trap case.
According to a challan produced by Anticorruption Bureau, on 21.05.2019 a written complaint was lodged by the complainant namely Ramesh Chander against the accused who was Divisional Manager of State Forest Corporation (SFC) Udhampur alleging therein that he is working as a contractor with State Forest Corporation Division Udhampur since last about 20 years and have been allotted extraction / transportation loading /unloading work by the department in compartment No. 45/76 Dudu Range District Udhampur since last about two and half years.
The payment of about 10% was outstanding to him against the work done by him in the compartments. The complainant further stated that Puran Chand Bhagat was demanding an amount of Rs 48,000 as illegal bribe from him for release of payment/preparation of documents and has insisted the complainant to pay Rs 30,000 as advance and rest of Rs 18,000 after release of payment and preparation of documents.
Accordingly, Anticorruption Bureau laid the trap and arrested the accused.
After hearing APP Himansh Parkash for the ACB, the court observed, “prima facie case is made out that the accused in the abuse of his official position as Divisional Manager State Forest Corporation SFC Udhampur had demanded and accepted the bribe money of Rs 30,000 on 21.05.2019 and it came to be recovered from the wooden rack of the bed room in the official residential quarter of accused person situated in the first floor of office of Divisional Manager SFC Division Udhampur “.
“Hence, the accused is charge-sheeted for commission of offences under Section 5(1) (d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K PC Act 2006”, the court said.
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