Cinestar Amitabh Bachchan today filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging a Faizabad Court order that scrapped his ownership of farmland in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki District.

Bachchan is accused of illegally acquiring village land in Uttar Pradesh to establish his claims of being a farmer.

On June 1, a Faizabad court rejected Bachchan's claim of being a farmer by scrapping his ownership of farmland at Barabanki by declaring it illegal.

The court rejected Bachchan's petition against Barabanki District Magistrate's order cancelling transfer of a land in Daulatpur village in his name.

After hearing the arguments of Bachchan's counsel, Additional Commissioner (Administration) V S Prasad, upheld the March 24, 2006 order quashing the transfer of two bigha and five biswa' land by the Barabanki consolidation officer.

The Barabanki District Magistrate had declared that the mode of transfer of land to Bachchan was illegal and directed to lodge an FIR in the matter.

In the wake of Faizabad court's June 1 order, the Pune Collectorate has decided to scrutinise Bachchan's documents and testimonials relating to purchase of over 20 acres of agricultural land near Pavana Dam in Maval taluka of the Pune District.

As per the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Land Act, 1963, only farmers can own agricultural land in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane has said that the Government would seize the actor's farmland at Pavana if it was found that he had used fake means to purchase property.

Previous Mulayam Singh Yadav Government had allotted three bighas (about 70,000 sq ft) of prime land in Daulatpur village of Barabanki District to Bachchan, a close confidante of the Samajwadi Party.