Court rejects allotment of lands to Prakash Jha

Patna, Dec 18 (UNI) Patna High Court today rejected the allotment of land to noted film director Prakash Jha by the state government in Patna and other places for construction of mulitplexes and shopping malls.

While hearing a PIL, filed by of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Premchandra Mishra, a division bench comprising Justice Aftab Alam and Rekha Kumari, rejected the entire allottment to Prakash Jha and termed it ''unlawful.'' The court allowed Prakash Jha to file a fresh application before the state government for the purpose and directed the government to allot land according to the rules and regulations.

Earlier the state government had allotted 12 acres of land to Mr Jha in Patna, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Buxar and Aurangabad for construction of multiplexes and shopping malls.

In Patna, Mr Jha was allotted 32 katha of land at a throwaway price of Rs 14 lakh. The allottment had generated much heat in political circles and figers were raised as the allotted lands belonged to the farmers.

UNI XC-RS JYN VD KN1517