UP govt denies targeting Amitabh

Lucknow, Apr 1 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government has vehemently refuted the charges of targeting Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan by registering a case against him in connection with payment of less stamp duties during the purchase of land for a girls' school at Barabanki.

In a statement here today, the State government clarified that the case was registered under normal legal procedure and no senior official or the chief minister was involved in it.

''It is a small case at the district level. Therefore, no official knew about it,'' it said.

''Statements made in the media by the opposition leaders over the issue is an effort to malign the image of the government,'' the statement claimed, adding the case had nothing to do with the Supreme Court ruling in a different case yesterday.

Further clarifying the government's stand, it said a notice is served under the Indian Stamp Act to the purchaser, if there is any anomaly in the payment of stamp duties on the purchase of any land.

Yesterday, the Barabanki district administration had served a notice to Bachchan for non-payment of proper stamp duties for the land purchased to open a girls' college after the name of his daughter-in-law and internationally acclaimed actress Aishwaraya Rai Bachchan.

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