The Hindu : National : Bachchan land: Fresh charges arise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 22, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Bachchan land: Fresh charges arise

New Delhi: An Uttar Pradesh Government official has reportedly claimed that he was pressured by a senior to issue backdated certificates showing superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s ownership of farmland in Barabanki in the State.

The fresh charges came close on the heels of the Bollywood star’s decision to surrender the land allotted to him by the previous Uttar Pradesh administration in an attempt to end the raging controversy.

“I was asked by the then District Magistrate R.S. Sahu to endorse the document showing Amitabh owned land in Barabanki. I tried to resist but I was literally cornered,” former Fatehpur Deputy Collector Mahendra Singh told Ou tlook magazine.

He claimed that besides Mr. Sahu, the Tehsildar A.K. Srivastav also coerced him to issue the fake certificate.

The magazine also published a letter purportedly written by Mr. Singh to Mr. Sahu which said that “on the midnight of April 11-12, 2006, in the presence of Deputy Collector Umesh Mishra, undue pressure was brought on me to certify Bachchan as owner of plot No 702 on a backdated certificate dated 18-3-2006. This stands withdrawn.”

He wrote the letter on April 19 and eight days later, he was transferred out.- PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National
News: ePaper | Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Jobs | Updates: Breaking News |