MP Mehdi rejects graft allegations, calls probe a political stunt
Srinagar: Member of India Parliament Ruhullah Mehdi has strongly denied any involvement in a recently surfaced land compensation case, terming the allegations against him as baseless and politically motivated.
According to Kashmir Media Service the case, which pertains to a land acquisition process from over two decades ago in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Bemina-Darbal area, has triggered controversy after an official chargesheet reportedly included Mehdi’s name among the alleged beneficiaries.
In a press briefing today, Ruhullah Mehdi expressed his gratitude to the press for attending and clarified his family’s historical connection to the land in question. “This land belonged to my late grandfather Agha Sahib, and the compensation was given to his heirs like many others in the area. I am the third in the line of inheritance and had no direct role in negotiations or decisions regarding the land,” Mehdi said.
The MP, who served as an MLA for 18 years before being elected to the Parliament, emphasized that he was neither issued any notice by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) nor questioned by police or administration over the past two decades. “I only learned about the chargesheet the day it was filed—just like everyone else,” he added.
According to Mehdi, the land was originally acquired by the government in the early 2000s for the rehabilitation of Dal dwellers. The landowners, including Mehdi’s grandfather’s family, were compensated based on possession and agricultural use. He cited cabinet decisions and surveys that formed the legal basis for the compensation, stating that thousands of kanals in the area were similarly processed.
He further disclosed that his personal share, as per inheritance and division among 11 legal heirs, amounted to just Rs 80,000—received nearly 20 years ago. “If this is what is being called a multi-crore scam, then I welcome the harshest investigation. Bring in not just the ACB, but even the NIA,” he said, urging transparency and a detailed public investigation.
Indian Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has produced a charge sheet against 22 persons, including MP Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, for withdrawing “fraudulent payments” by making insertions and tampering with the Revenue records in Budgam district.
