J&K ACB Files Chargesheet Against 22, Including NC MP Aga Ruhullah, in Land Fraud Case

The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has lodged a chargesheet against 22 people, including National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, for cheating withdrawal of payments by falsification of revenue records in Budgam district.

The chargesheet was presented before the Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Srinagar, in terms of Section 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) of the J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and Sections 120-B, 467, 468, 471 of the RPC (now BNS). The accused consist of officials of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, four retired government servants, and 16 beneficiaries.

A surprise inspection conducted jointly by the ACB revealed that officers of the agriculture and revenue department had conspired with some of the residents of Dal Lake to fraudulently inflate land records, resulting in excess compensation paid. Spurious mutations depicted land as 60 kanal rather than six, and 40 kanal rather than four.

MP Aga Ruhullah, who is among the accused, rejected allegations of wrongdoing, saying the issue is two decades old and he was merely a legal heir to his grandfather's land. He said his family had been compensated for 40-50 kanal while he possessed more than 90 kanal, both on the basis of revenue records and physical possession.