Amitabh abandons claim on farmland

LUCKNOW: Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachahan on Friday abandoned his claim over the farmland allotted to him at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district, which was cancelled by the Faizabad commissioner a few months ago.

His lawyer moved a supplementary affidavit before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court forgoing his claim over the land allotted to him during the previous Samajwadi Party regime following the village panchayat’s assurance not to further pursue the matter.

“The petitioner hereby declares that he has now abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district since the gram sabha has agreed not to pursue the matter any further,” it said. The affidavit prayed that the court pass an order that no proceedings, “either civil, revenue or criminal in nature” be initiated in future against the actor.The government counsel, however, submitted that he should also be heard and sought some time following which Justice A N Verma adjourned the matter till October 24.

The lawyer for daulatpur village panchayat had yesterday told the court it would not launch legal proceedings against bachchan if he relinquished his claim over the plot of agricultural land. “There is no malafide intention on the part of amitabh bachchan. If he forgoes his claim over the land, the panchayat will not launch criminal prosecution against him,” the lawyer r n gupta had said.