Two forest officials arrested for taking bribe in J-K's Kathua

Jammu, Sep 14 (PTI) Two forest department officials were arrested for allegedly taking a bribe to release pending bills to a contractor in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Saturday, an Anti-Corruption Bureau official said.
    Forester Rashpaul Singh and forest guard Avdesh Singh were caught red-handed while taking an illegal gratification of Rs 15,000 to release pending payment of more than Rs 2.81 lakh to a contractor who had executed fencing work, plantation, pit planting and patch sowing in the Budhi block forest range, the official said.
    A case was registered and discreet verification confirmed the bribe demand by the two public servants, he said.
    A successful trap was laid and both the accused were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of Rs 15,000, in the presence of independent witnesses, from the complainant and subsequently arrested, the Anti-Corruption Bureau official said.
    He added searches were conducted in the homes of the accused and further investigation was underway.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)