NC MLA Javed Choudhary denies land scam allegations

Three days after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against former revenue officials in a case pertaining to an alleged land scam in which National Conference MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary was also named, the legislator has refuted the allegations stating that he has not been a beneficiary of any such deal.

It is pertinent to mention here that Choudhary has not been named as an accused in the case and the investigation into the case is ongoing.

In a statement on his social media, the Budhal MLA stated, “I have come to know that my name is being linked to a land allotment under investigation of ACB. This could be erroneous or mischievous, which I will have to ascertain”.

“However, at this stage I want to clarify with absolute certainty that I have never been a beneficiary of any such transaction and nor have I ever been a stakeholder even in an inch of such land. People indulging in wilful defamation without checking the facts will have to face the law. I am also aware of a white collar nexus which is spending a good deal of money and other resources to plant fake stories against us. This is just a matter of time that will get a taste of their own medicine,” he added.

The ACB had on May 20 registered a formal case against Ravinder Sharma, the then Tehsildar (Settlement), Jammu; Mohammad Bashir, the then Tehsildar, Bahu, Jammu; Mohd Sarwar Lone, the then Naib Tehsildar, Bahu, Jammu; and Mohd Rasheed Malik, the then Patwari of Chowadhi, Jammu, for allotment of state land in favour of one Tara Singh under the provision of a government order.

The ACB stated that during the course of inquiry conducted into the matter, it has surfaced that allotment order was issued in favour of said Tara Singh in 2013 as refugee allottee and ownership rights were conferred upon him in 2014.

ACB claimed that the power of attorney pertaining to the land in question was executed in favour of Javed Iqbal before the conferment of ownership rights to Tara Singh.

J & K