Jameel Ahmed of Halqa Shahpur Caught Accepting Rs. 15,000 Bribe
JJ Toseef R Ganai
Poonch, Sept 19: In a decisive move against entrenched corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday trapped and arrested Patwari Jameel Ahmed of Halqa Shahpur, Poonch, while accepting a bribe of Rs. 15,000 from a local resident.
According to ACB officials, the complainant approached the Bureau after being repeatedly pressured for illegal payment in exchange for routine official work. Acting on the complaint, a team of ACB officers laid a well-structured trap, catching the Patwari in the act with marked currency. The operation was conducted under the watch of independent witnesses to maintain credibility and legal transparency.
For the people of Poonch, the arrest has reinforced long-standing allegations of systematic corruption within the revenue department. Locals say the case is symbolic of a wider malaise where bribes have become the unofficial price for accessing public services. “This arrest proves what we have been suffering silently for years — nothing moves in these offices until palms are greased,” a resident remarked.
The ACB, in its statement, urged the public to report such cases without fear, assuring strict confidentiality of complainants. However, the agency also faces the daunting challenge of taking the fight beyond isolated cases to dismantle the broader networks of corruption that thrive in government offices.
The arrest of Jameel Ahmed may appear as a single victory, but it has pulled back the curtain on a system that ordinary citizens describe as exploitative and unaccountable. Whether this marks the beginning of a genuine clean-up or remains a token crackdown will be tested in the days ahead.
