Jammu: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday raided the house of police inspector Vijay Choudhary, the brother of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, in a disproportionate assets case in Jammu city.
Official sources said the raid started early this morning at the Santokh Vihar residence of Vijay Choudhary in the Talo Kalo Chak area of Jammu city. Vijay Chaudhary is an Inspector of the J&K Police.
He was transferred to the Ladakh union territory in September 2025 and is presently under suspension.
More details are awaited, as well as the official confirmation. The Deputy CM was yet to react to the development.
The J&K anti-graft organisation has been carrying out raids against public servants following complaints of bribes for favouring complainants by using their official position.
In such cases, the accused are often caught red-handed in the presence of independent witnesses and an executive magistrate while accepting the bribe.
In cases of assets accumulated by government servants disproportionate to their known sources of income, the ACB first holds a preliminary inquiry to establish the genuineness of the reported disproportionate assets before carrying out raids at the places belonging to the persons involved.
The offences of corruption and bribery against government employees were initially covered only under the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code, 1989. Around 1,949 cases in this regard were registered and investigated by the local police.
After the enactment of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act,1949, a separate wing called ‘Anti-Corruption Wing’ was formed in the State Crime Branch to investigate cases.
However, in 1962, a separate organisation, called “Anti-Corruption Organisation”, was formed to investigate all cases relating to bribery and corruption.
With the passage of time, various Acts were enacted to deal effectively with the menace of corruption. Most important among those enactments were the Prevention of Corruption Laws (Amendment) Act, 1983, by virtue of which the “Anti-Corruption Organisation” was renamed as “State Vigilance Organisation”, and the J&K Public Men and Public Servants Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions Act, 1983.
Under this Act, the elected representatives of various public bodies, MLAs and Ministers were brought under the purview of Corruption Laws and filing of Annual Property Returns was made mandatory for all public servants and public men. Failure to do so was made an offence under the PC Act, 2006.
(IANS)
