Budgam Payment Scam: NC MP Aga Ruhullah Alleges Political Vendetta After ACB Chargesheet Against Parliamentarian

A day after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a chargesheet against him in the infamous Budgam payment fraud case, National Conference Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah, alleged that the two-decade-old issue was raked up again only to silence him for his political views.

Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has been vocal after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and also criticized his party for not aggressively pursuing the case of the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.. He is also vociferously opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 and existing reservation rules in Jammu and Kashmir

Among the 22 individuals named in the chargesheet by the anti-graft agency, the senior National Conference leader and sitting MP was listed at number 13.

Speaking to media persons, Ruhullah stated that there was no wrongdoing in the over 20-year-old case and that he was the sole legal heir to his grandfather's land, for which compensation was awarded to his family in 2000.

The Lok Sabha member described the chargesheet as a deliberate attempt by the government to intimidate him by misusing agencies like the ACB.

"I will not be silenced or intimidated by such false and fabricated cases," he said.

The National Conference leader elaborated that the land in question was inherited from his grandfather, who owned about 90 kanals in Durbal Bemina — an area where land was acquired by the government in 2000 as part of a rehabilitation initiative for Dal Lake dwellers.

"At that time, compensation was provided not only based on revenue records but also on actual possession of land. That was a government decision. My family received compensation for around 40–50 kanals, despite more than 90 kanals being under our possession," he recalled.

Ruhullah said he was surprised to learn about the as he had never been questioned by the authorities or served any legal notice regarding the matter.

"I will not be silenced by such attempts of the government. I will remain silent only until the day Article 370 is restored, atrocities against Muslims and minorities are stopped, and the constitutional rights of J&K are reinstated," he asserted.

Ruhullah Among 22 Chargesheeted in Budgam Land Compensation Case

On Saturday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a chargesheet against 22 persons, including Lok Sabha member  in the infamous Budgam fraudulent payment scam.

According to the ACB chargesheet, the total land in possession of the Rakhs and Farms Department in Kashmir was only seven kanals. However, officials at the helm withdrew rent for 107 kanals of land.

The case was registered against officials and beneficiaries following an ACB inquiry into allegations of abuse of official position by officials of the Rakhs and Farms Department, Kashmir. The inquiry revealed that they made insertions and tampered with revenue records, which led to the fraudulent withdrawal of payments against excess state land shown as allotted to tenants at Rakh-e-Aerth, Budgam.

The ACB stated that during the investigation into compensation payments made for the rehabilitation of Dal dwellers under Government Order No. 56-Rev(S) of 2006, it was found that officials of the Revenue and Agriculture Departments conspired with certain beneficiaries (tenants) to fraudulently inflate land records in order to claim excess compensation.

"These officials abused their positions to falsely reflect excessive land possession in favor of beneficiaries, leading to undue payments and losses to the state exchequer. Officials of Rakhs and Farms, in connivance with LAWDA and Revenue Department officials, tampered with revenue records and managed to inflate the quantum of land in possession of tenants," the ACB said.