NC MP Ruhullah, his six relatives among 22 named in land compensation scam

Srinagar: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir Police has filed a charge sheet against 22 individuals, including National Conference (NC) leader and Member of Parliament Syed Aga Ruhullah and six of his relatives, in connection with an alleged land compensation scam involving tampered revenue records.

The charge sheet, linked to FIR No. 18/2009, was submitted to the Court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kashmir. The case has been registered under Sections 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006.

Among those charged are two former Collectors from the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), four current or former government officials, and 16 private beneficiaries—many of whom are part of the influential Aga family from Budgam.

According to the ACB, the case stems from an investigation into fraudulent payments made under the 2006 government rehabilitation policy for Dal dwellers. The investigation revealed that revenue records in Rakh-e-Aerth, Budgam, were tampered with by officials from the Rakhs and Farms department. These changes falsely showed state land as being allotted to tenants, resulting in inflated compensation claims.

“This fraudulent manipulation of land records led to wrongful payments for excess land shown to be under tenancy,” an ACB official said. “A deep nexus between government officials and private beneficiaries has been established.”

Aga Ruhullah, a prominent NC leader, served as an MLA for three consecutive terms from 2002 to 2018 and currently represents Srinagar in Parliament. He rose to national prominence after 2019 for his vocal opposition to the abrogation of Article 370, often criticizing his own party leadership.

In January, Ruhullah stirred political debate by warning that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah risked being seen as “Delhi’s representative in Kashmir” if he didn’t fight strongly for the rights that were snatched away from the people of J&K. His remarks followed a rare political protest in which he stood outside Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence, criticizing the government’s stance on controversial reservation policy.

During the 2024 parliamentary election campaign, Ruhullah faced scrutiny over discrepancies in his official documents. An old allegation resurfaced from 2002 when his relative, Aga Syed Mehmood, accused him of altering his date of birth. Although the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, recent RTI disclosures have reignited controversy surrounding the issue.