Jail superintendent held in Rs45m corruption case

GUJRANWALA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has arrested Central Jail Gujranwala Superintendent Azhar Javed Cheema over allegations of receiving a bribe of Rs45 million from a citizen, officials said.

The accused was arrested from inside the jail and later produced before Senior Civil Judge Shehzad Ahmed, where the Anti-Corruption authorities sought a 12-day physical remand for investigation.

The court, however, granted the investigators a five-day physical remand of the accused.

According to the FIR, registered as Case No. 38/26 under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 161 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Azhar Cheema allegedly received Rs45 million from a resident of Talwandi Musa Khan.

The complainant alleged that the money was paid to the jail superintendent as a bribe. However, according to the FIR, Cheema allegedly described the amount as his personal investment and claimed that he had invested the money in a housing scheme.

The complainant maintained that despite repeated promises, the matter was not resolved, following which he approached the Anti-Corruption Establishment and submitted an application for legal action.

After an inquiry, the Anti-Corruption authorities registered the case and subsequently arrested the jail superintendent from Central Jail Gujranwala.

The accused was brought before the court amid tight security, where the prosecution argued that his physical remand was required to investigate the alleged financial transaction and recover relevant evidence.

The court handed him over to the Anti-Corruption authorities on a five-day physical remand.

The allegations are yet to be proved in court, and the accused will have the right to defend himself during the legal proceedings.