Big B land case hearing on Sep 28

Lucknow, Sep 7: Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court today posted the Amitabh Bachchan agricultural land case for next hearing to September 28. Today, the actor was supposed to file a rejoinder in the case, but his counsel pleaded for three weeks' time, which was granted by Justice A N Verma.

Meanwhile, an erstwhile 'zamidar' (landlord) Ram Chander Singh petitioned the HC bench to implead him as a party to the case.

Singh claimed that the controversial piece of land was sold by him to the actor's uncle Saligram in return of 'nazrana' (token money).

However, in due course the Uttar Pradesh government without his knowledge, acquired the property under gram sabha land, he contended.

His application would also be taken on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the Bollywood megastar had challenged the Faizabad Division Additional Commissioner (Administration) Vidhya Sagar Prasad's order quashing the allotment of agricultural land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district to him.

On March 24, 2006, the then Barabanki District Magistrate Ashish Goel had ordered sealing of land records pertaining to the allotment of land to Bachchan.

Later, the Additional Commissioner's court had also affirmed this step, which was challenged by Bachchan.
In earlier hearings, the UP government had stated that the allotment of land was illegal, since it was not entered in the original revenue records. It further mentioned that Bachchan committed fraud by claiming that he was a resident of 17, Clive Road, Allahabad, in his application for farmland allotment in Barabanki.

The Chief Standing Counsel said Bachchan's father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, lived at the said residence till 1958 after which the house was sold.

The former Mulayam Singh Yadav government had allotted three bighas (about 70,000 sq ft) of prime land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki District to Bachchan.

The actor had managed issuance of documents in his name, which identified him as a farmer and on the basis of these, he got a 24 acre plot of agricultural land at Lonavla, Pune in mid-1990s.

However, the Faizabad Additional Commissioner, who has judicial powers in land disputes, had ruled that the 1993 Barabanki land transfer in his name was illegal.

Mr Prasad said the DM's certificate had been obtained with forged land revenue documents.

UNI