BHIMBER (Kashmir English): Deputy Commissioner Bhimber on Tuesday initiated an inquiry against Sajjid Mehmood, Patwari at the District Revenue Department Bhimber, for taking bribes.
As per the details, a citizen, Muhammad Saad, filed a complaint against Patwari, accusing him of taking a bribe of Rs 110,000.
The complainant said that Patwari Sajid allegedly demanded a bribe in exchange for issuing a “Fard Intikhab“. The bribe was paid to Patwari Sajid through Muhammad Bilal, a resident of Bhuto Sial, who claimed to have good relations with the official.
Taking notice of the complaint, Deputy Commissioner Bhimber appointed Assistant Commissioner Bhimber as the inquiry officer. DC has directed the inquiry officer to conduct an investigation within a specified timeframe and submit a report with clear recommendations.
Earlier on Monday, a junior clerk in Bhimber, who has already been suspended in an ongoing bribery case, was accused of taking an additional Rs 1.3 million from a local citizen in exchange for completing land documentation.
According to the DC Office Bhimber spokesperson, the clerk, who served in the Tehsildar Office of the Revenue Department, was already facing inquiries over corruption. The case took a serious turn when a resident, Muhammad Anwar, submitted a written complaint and affidavit to the Deputy Commissioner, stating that Asif Riaz demanded a bribe for processing his land documents.
The Bribery case complainant stated that Rs 800,000 was initially paid in Bernala in the presence of two witnesses. Later, the clerk claimed the land case was complicated due to the involvement of individuals from Kotli, Mirpur, and Jhelum, who also needed to be paid. Based on this excuse, he allegedly collected another Rs 500,000.
The Deputy Commissioner assured the public that the matter would be handled with full transparency. He emphasized that, under the vision of Azad Kashmir’s Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, no corrupt official would be spared.
“We are committed to providing relief to the people and taking strict action against those involved in bribery,” he stated.
