With Mulayam Singh Yadav out and BSP supreme Mayawati in power, Bollywood mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan may face trouble in Uttar Pradesh. Sources in the
corridors of powers in UP say that the Mayawati government is set to expedite a probe into alleged irregularities in the land allotted to the Big B by the government.
Bachchan was allotted some three and a half bighas (about 90, 000 sq feet) of land at a prime site in Barabanki, 35 km from the state capital of Lucknow. Documentation
put forth by Bachchan raised suspicions that the allotment was done in a clandestine manner.
According to informed sources, Bachchan has mentioned his name only as "Amitabh" and dropped "Bachchan" in an obvious bid to avoid identification.
"The objective behind the allotment was to not only get prime land for a song, but also to entitle himself for acquisition of an agricultural plot of land in Maharashtra, where
none other than a farmer could acquire agricultural land, " a source pointed out.
A complaint is pending before the Election Commission against Bachchan's wife, Jaya Bachchan, for having concealed the ownership of the Barabanki plot as a part of her
family assets that were declared when she filed her nomination for Rajya Sabha as a Samajwadi Party candidate.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 13:30 IST