Srinagar, July 1 : The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested a sitting District Development Council (DDC) member, Mohammad Shaban Chopan, son of Ghulam Qadir Chopan of Dara Harwan, while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹50,000 for facilitating official clearances.
According to an ACB spokesperson, a formal case—FIR No. 12/2025 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita—was registered against Chopan and his associate, Ghulam Mohammad Khathana, son of Mukeem Khathana, also a resident of Dara Harwan.
The arrest followed a written complaint alleging that the DDC member and his tout demanded ₹5,00,000 in bribes to help the complainant secure the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for operating a Scholars Boarding School at Dara. The complainant further alleged that Chopan orchestrated an official inspection of the premises to pressure him and lay the groundwork for extortion.
An initial payment of ₹50,000 and a blank signed cheque were allegedly sought as part of the total bribe.
Following discreet verification, the ACB found substantial merit in the complaint. The verification report confirmed that the DDC member had indeed made the bribe demand through his associate.
Subsequently, both Chopan and Khathana were apprehended in a trap operation by ACB while accepting the bribe amount.
The ACB has reiterated its commitment to rooting out corruption and urged the public to report any such instances either through its helpline or by approaching the nearest ACB office.
Further investigation into the matter is underway. [KNT]
