SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Government today filed a defamation case against the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA and chief spokesperson for levelling corruption charges against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah last month.

Mr Abdullah has also served a notice to MLA Bandipora Nizam Uddin Bhat and spokesperson Nayeem Ahmad, asking them to apologise and withdrew all the charges or face the legal action.

Official sources said State Public Prosecutor has filed the defamation case against Mr Bhat and Mr Ahmad in the court of Additional District and Session Judge, Srinagar under various sections of the Jammu and Kashmir Code of Criminal Procedure.

Mr Bhat and Mr Ahmad had at a press conference last month alleged that Mr Abdullah had received Rs 500 crore kickback for allotting power project construction to a particular firm.

They also alleged that Chief Minister had withdrawn Rs 25 crore in one go from the secret fund.

The PDP leaders had further alleged that outside workers and labourers constructing the house of the Chief Minister at Gupkar road were getting State Government hospitality and staying in the guest house while the Kashmir valley was under curfew and all other developmental works had came to a halt.

The Chief Minister, on August 28, had sent a legal notice to both the PDP leaders drawn up by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General of India, for defamation for levelling " baseless, fabricated and defamatory" allegations in a bid to damage his reputation.

Mr Abdullah is seeking as damages to the extent of Rs 10 crore in the case.