J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau Traps Anantnag Police SPO for Accepting ₹18,000 Bribe to Release Seized Documents
ANANTNAG, MARCH 29 — In a major crackdown on grassroots corruption, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) successfully trapped and arrested Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, a Special Police Official (SPO) posted at Police Station Larnoo, for demanding and accepting an illegal gratification of ₹18,000.
The operation, conducted on Sunday, followed a written complaint from a local driver whose vehicle documents were allegedly withheld by a police naka party at Badihar Bridge on March 26.
According to the complainant, after his load carrier was searched and cleared, the officials refused to return his paperwork and directed him to report to the police station the following day to retrieve them.
The investigation revealed that upon visiting the Larnoo Police Station on March 27, the complainant was met by SPO Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, who initially made a verbal demand for ₹30,000 to release the withheld documents.
Following subsequent telephonic negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to ₹25,000 and finally settled at ₹18,000. Refusing to succumb to the extortion, the victim approached the ACB Anantnag, which launched a discreet verification process.
Once the demand was confirmed, the Bureau registered Case FIR No. 03/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and organized a specialized trap team to apprehend the official.
The trap was executed with precision as the ACB team caught the SPO red-handed while he was accepting the marked bribe money in the presence of independent witnesses.
Following the arrest of Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Batpora Larnoo, the Bureau conducted a thorough search of his residential premises under the supervision of Executive Magistrates.
The ACB has reiterated its commitment to a “zero-tolerance” policy against corruption within public offices, confirming that further investigations are underway to determine if other officials were involved in the extortion attempt.