Mathura District Magistrate Nikhil Chandra Shukla on Saturday rejected claims that there was a proposal to give the land at Jahawar Bagh, where 29 people were killed in a clash between police and encroachers, on lease to sect chief Ram Vriksha Yadav and his followers, saying the proposal has no legal standing.

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"Though I am unaware of the complete facts related to the proposal for allotment of land on lease to Ram Vriksha and I would go have to go through the records for the same, however, it is a fact that government land can not be given to a private party unless the proposal is passed by the Cabinet," he said.

Additional District Magistrate A K Awasthi said he has records to prove that the land belonged to the government. "The Khasra contains the name of Horticulture Department and the sale of produce, including fruits etc, was regularly deposited in the government's account," Awasthi said.

He said duplicate land records would be prepared for the land.