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Rediff.com  » News » Could Amitabh Bachchan be in trouble in UP?

Could Amitabh Bachchan be in trouble in UP?

By Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow
May 18, 2007 03:05 IST
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With the Mayawati administration zeroing in on various misdeeds of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, could the Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, too, become a target?

The superstar could be in the dock for receiving a big benefit during the previous regime through allotment of a prime government land in Barabanki district, about 35 km from Lucknow.

A probe into the allotment, which was already under the scanner, is being expedited.

The actor was allotted some three and a half bighas (about 90,000 sq feet) of government land at a prime site in  Barabanki sometime last year.

Refuting reports about a fresh probe being introduced in the case, an official spokesman told this correspondent, "We have not ordered any new probe; the inquiry initiated on account of a judicial intervention was only being expedited now."

That the allotment was done in a clandestine manner was clearly visible from the documentation put forth by Bachchan.

According to informed sources, in an obvious bid to avoid identification, Bachchan has mentioned his name as just 'Amitabh' and even dropped the last name in his father's name, mentioning it as just Harivansh Rai.

"The objective behind the allotment was to not only get prime land for a song but to also entitle himself for acquisition of an agricultural plot of land in Maharashtra, where no-one but a farmer could acquire agricultural land," the source
pointed out.

A complaint was already pending before the Election Commission against Big B's wife Jaya Bachchan for having concealed the ownership of the Barabanki plot as a part of the family assets.

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Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow