PDP legislator Iftikhar Hussain Ansari,who is facing trial in the multi-crore New Sidhra Township land scam,surrendered before a court in Jammu on Thursday,two days after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.
Ansari,however,was freed after he furnished a bail bond of Rs 50,000. The township scam dates back to 1997.
That year,according to the prosecutors,Jammu Development Authority (JDA) entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Projects Ltd to raise a loan for New Sidhra township project through its foreign associates,Alchemy Enterprises of the US,against a bank guarantee to be provided in US dollars.
Ansari,then Urban Development Minister in the Farooq Abdullah government conspired with Jayant Bhuta of Infrastructure Projects and obtained an advance bank guarantee of Rs 4.75 crore from JDA in violation of norms. He also allegedly had a fake MoU prepared to show the JDA had awarded the contract for the project to Infrastructure Projects.