The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested an employee for demanding and accepting a bribe for preventing the filing of an appeal against an order for acquittal in a Kathua court, officials said.

The ACB received a complaint that alleged that special grade constable  Sudesh Kumar, posted as Naib Courty in the court of Munsiff in Mahanpur, demanded illegal gratification for preventing the filing of an appeal against the order of acquittal in a case pending adjudication before the court, the officials said.

Kumar had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant for preventing to file an appeal against the order of acquittal, they said.

“After negotiation, the accused agreed to receive a bribe amount of Rs 8,000 from the complainant. As the complainant did not want to pay a bribe, he approached the ACB to take legal action against the accused public servant under the law,” they said.

On receipt of the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which confirmed the demand for a bribe by Kumar. Accordingly, a case was registered by the ACB and an investigation was taken up, they said.

During the investigation, the team laid a successful trap and Kumar was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of Rs 8,000 from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses, they said.

The accused was arrested on the spot by the ACB team after following due process of law, they said.

“The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team. Moreover, searches are being conducted in the residential house of the accused in the presence of independent witness and magistrate,” the officials said.

Further investigation of the case is going on, they said.