SRINAGAR – The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Srinagar has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a local revenue official for allegedly demanding a bribe to settle land record discrepancies.
The accused, identified as Muneeb Farooq, the Halqa Patwari of Soaf-Shali in Kokernag, Anantnag, was booked on January 15, 2026, following a written complaint from a local resident.
The Bribery Allegations
The case originated from a complaint filed by Mohammad Rafiq Sheeri, a resident of Sheeri Mohalla, Soaf Shali-B. According to the complaint, Sheeri and his cousin intended to sell three kanals of ancestral land falling under Khasra No. 1741 to a private buyer.
Upon approaching the Patwari for the necessary mutation and processing, the official reportedly conducted a site inspection. Following the visit, Farooq allegedly informed the owner that 1.5 kanals of the plot fell under a different Khasra number (1742) rather than 1741, claiming that the mutation could not proceed without a re-demarcation and modification of the Khasra entry.
To provide the “rectified” revenue extracts and facilitate the sale, Farooq allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹30,000.
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CBI Action and Investigation
Unwilling to pay the illegal gratification, Sheeri approached the CBI, leading to a formal verification conducted by Inspector Aftab Gul on January 15. The verification confirmed the demand for the bribe, establishing a prima facie case against the public servant.
The CBI has officially registered a Regular Case (RC) under:
- Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018 and via the J&K Re-organisation Act 2019).
The FIR was authorized by Raman Kumar Meena (IPS), DIG and Head of the CBI Branch in Srinagar. The investigation has been entrusted to Inspector Firdous Ahmad Bhat, who has been directed to take up the matter immediately.
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Copies of the FIR have been dispatched to the Special Judge for Anti-Corruption (CBI Cases) in Srinagar and the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag for further judicial and administrative oversight.
