Prosecuting officer held for taking bribe of Rs 2 lakh

Jammu: Vigilance sleuths in Jammu and Kashmir arrested a senior prosecuting officer for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2,00,000 for helping an accused in a murder case in Rajouri district here.

Ajaz Ul Hassan, currently a senior prosecuting officer at Mendhar court in Poonch district, was arrested last night for helping an accused in a murder case in 2014, Sate Vigilance Organisation (SVO) Director Muneer Khan said.

He said that more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.

A case was registered by the SVO against the official, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2,00,000 from Moulvi Mushtaq Ahmed of Panaid village for not arraying him as an accused in a murder case in 2014, in which Ahmed’s family members were also booked, Khan said.

During investigation it was found that Hassan, then senior prosecuting officer at Thanamand court, had demanded the bribe from Ahmed and accepted it in three instalments, he said.

In order to carry out detailed questioning regarding his involvement in the case, Hassan was arrested, the director said.

Over thirty-five government officials have been arrested on charges of corruption by the SVO after Khan took charge as its director last month.

—PTI