HC reserves verdict on PIL in Bachchan TV ad case

Lucknow, Nov 13 (UNI) The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today reserved its verdict on a PIL, challenging an order of Information Commission , which rejected an application questioning megastar Amitabh Bachchan for his TV advertisement during the state Assembly election claiming crime rate in Uttar Pradesh was much less as compared to other states.

Hearing the PIL, Justices U K Dhawan and S S Chauhan reserved the verdict on the case.

The petition was filed by one Braj Bhushan Dubey of Ghazipur district, on whose Right To Information (RTI) application, CIC Justice (Retd) M A Khan had already issued a notice to Big B.

In his petition, Mr Dubey had prayed that if Bachchan moved the Hegh Court challenging the CIC order, the former be given information to put up his contention on the date of hearing.

The Big B had played the lead in a series of TV campaigns on the crime situation in the state during the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government.

The CIC had asked Bachchan to reply by October 15 on his claims that the crime situation in UP was better than other states.

Big B had quoted figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in the TV commercial.

The Commission also directed that the notice be sent by registered post to the actor, who was also the former member of the dissolved UP Development Council (UPDC), which was headed by senior Samajwadi Party leader and MP Amar Singh.

In his seven-point application, Mr Dubey had demanded that Bachchan should clarify the basis of his claim that '' UP mein hai dum, kyonki jurm yaha hai kam.'' The application was sent to the Commission on March 30 during the state assembly poll, while it was registered with the CIC on June 14.

UNI