Thursday, May 21, 2026 – The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau delivered a sharp reminder this evening that accountability drives in the UT remain active, trapping and arresting two officials from Irrigation Division Anantnag on bribery charges. The accused — identified as Nazir Ahmad Wani, a Ziladar, and Bilal Ahmad Wagay, a Patwari — were caught in the act of allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 1 lakh in exchange for resolving a land-related complaint, according to an official statement issued through the Kashmir News Observer.
The ACB confirmed that both men were taken into custody at the scene and that further investigation is underway. The case underscores the persistence of petty corruption in revenue and irrigation departments, a recurring grievance among citizens navigating property and land documentation in south Kashmir. Anti-corruption operations of this kind have intensified over the past year as the J&K administration seeks to position institutional reform as a hallmark of governance under UT status. The public complaint that triggered the trap remains under examination as investigators look into whether the bribery demand was a one-time incident or part of a wider pattern of extortion.
