There appears to be no end to superstar Amitabh Bachchan's troubles with the Income Tax authorities, the latest being over a pair of sunglasses claimed to be worth Rs 2.7
lakh and a bungalow here.
Bachchan, who carved a niche in Bollywood playing an angry young man about three decades ago, has shot off an angry letter to Income Tax Commissioner S C Gupta
saying it was "most improbable" the sunglasses would cost Rs 2.7 lakh.
As for the house "Jalsa", registered in the name of his actress wife Jaya, the Bachchans have submitted documents to the authorities to show the property was legally gifted
by Bachchan's sister-in-law Ramola in 1993 and that all taxes and stamp duty related to it have been paid.
The issue of the sunglasses arose after a tabloid here carried a report on May 29 saying Bachchan had visited New York over a year ago solely to purchase the eyewear and
later gifted them to S Ramanathan, the director of the star's new film "Zamanat".
In his letter dated June 10 to Gupta, Bachchan said he never spoken to any journalist from the tabloid, and the quotes attributed to him in the report were "false,
mischevious, incorrect and malicious".
The actor said he was writing the letter as he anticipated "yet another notice from the department over the contents" of the report.
"I am hastening to inform you in
advance and perhaps, to prevent your department from taking the trouble of sending me another notice..." The Income Tax authorities had sent a notice on April 21 to Jaya
on Jalsa following another report over ownership and registration of the property in the same tabloid.
Monday, June 12, 2006 14:11 IST