Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Sunday denied reports that Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan had been served a notice to pay income tax while he was in a Mumbai hospital last month.

"No income tax notice was served on Bachchan while he was in the intensive care unit of the hospital," Chidambaram told reporters on the sidelines of a conclave here of his Congress party.

He admitted a notice had been sent to the star for recovery of taxes. "But it was not while he was in hospital," he asserted.

A controversy had erupted after Bachchan said in a newspaper interview that the income tax department had sent a notice to him even while he was recuperating in Leelavati hospital at Mumbai.

Some reports had suggested the move was politically motivated as Bachchan is close to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who recently accused the Congress-led central government of tapping his phone.

The income tax department has also clarified its notice had been sent to Bachchan before he was admitted to hospital and there had been no ulterior or political motive behind the move.