LUCKNOW: A Faizabad court on Saturday dismissed a review petition filed by actor Amitabh Bachchan in the agricultural land allotment case in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. It ruled that Mr. Bachchan was not a farmer.

Rejecting the petition, Additional Commissioner of Faizabad Division Vidya Sagar Prasad upheld the order of the former Barabanki District Magistrate, Ashish Goel, cancelling the transfer of farmland in Mr. Bachchan's name in Daulatpur village. Mr. Goel, in his March 24, 2006 order accused the film star of "misrepresenting facts" to avail himself of the benefit.

The petition was filed by Mr. Bachchan's attorney Vijay Kumar Shukla and the case argued by counsel M.B. Singh. After completing the hearing, Mr. Prasad reserved the judgment on May 29, 2007. Mr. Prasad said the entry of Mr. Bachchan's name in the land records of Daulatpur was against the law and rules.

About 4.142 hectares of agricultural land (about 70,000 square feet) in Daulatpur village, Mohammadpur pargana, Fatehpur tehsil in Barabanki district was allotted to Mr. Bachchan in 1983. His name in the revenue records was entered as "Amitabh, son of Harivansh Rai, resident of 17, Clive Road, Allahabad" (Allahabad is the Bachchans' hometown).

Testimony

Mr. Bachchan reportedly used the land allotment in Daulatpur as a testimony to establish his credentials as a farmer to buy farmland in Pune, Maharashtra. The Maharashtra rules do not allow farmland to be sold to non-agriculturists.

The issue of the actor's credentials as a farmer and the purchase of land in Daulatpur surfaced in March 2006 following a query from the Pune District Collector to his counterpart in Barabanki. Mr. Goel conducted a thorough investigation and sifted through the land records of Daulatpur. It revealed alleged irregularities.

In his March 24, 2006 order, Mr. Goel quashed the allotment and said the entry of Mr. Bachchan's name in the revenue records was illegal.

Shunted out

As the Samajwadi Party Government was in power in Uttar Pradesh at that time, the former Barabanki DM was shunted out a few days after he cancelled the land transfer in the actor's name. The then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh replaced Mr. Goel with Rama Shankar Sahu.

On April 26, 2006, Mr. Sahu stayed his predecessor's order on a plea by Mr. Bachchan's counsel.

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