PUNE, India, 9 June 2007 — The Maharashtra government has decided to go hammer and tongs at Bollywood stars who have bought farmlands in the Pune district claiming to be farmers. Actor Amitabh Bachchan bought a plot of land in Pavana allegedly with the help of a forged certificate from the Barabanki civic administration declaring him to be a farmer. The allegation has led to the government directing the chief administrator of the Pune district to scrutinize all land deals of Bollywood stars.
With the revenue records categorizing most of the land in question as woodland, these deals may mean trouble for these high-profile “farmers”.
According to Maval town revenue official Sampat Khilare, who has been assigned the task of scrutinizing all land deals in Maval, selling forest land is a drawn-out procedure. The land should remain undeveloped in most cases, he said.
According to public records, actor Dharmendra has 100 acres of agricultural land near Pavana dam purchased in his name and in the names of his actress wife Hema Malini, daughters Esha and Ahana and other relatives. Actress Sangita Bijlani, wife of former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, owns two plots purchased in her name near the land owned by Dharmendra. Actor Kanwaljit Singh owns a farmhouse in his name and that of his partner. Late actor Ashok Kumar has a farmhouse and agricultural land, 12 km north of Pavana Dam, which is now owned by his relatives. Actor Suresh Oberoi owns a farmhouse; Suniel Shetty owns three farmhouses and 50 acres; Dilip Kumar owns a piece of land near the Pavana dam; actress Neelam owns agricultural property worth 50 million rupees. Actress Tanuja has invested money in farmlands in Maval town and so as her sister the late actress Nutan.
“It is difficult to find out who purchased the land in Maval considering that deals happened in the names of relatives, friends or family,” said Khilare. “Apart from these, there are many more land deals where politicians, industrialists, celebrities and corporate honchos have invested (in this way).”
Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan got a relief from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court yesterday when judge D.P. Singh put a temporary injunction against quashing Bachchan’s ownership of the land. With the writ petition of the actor being admitted, Bachchan will be given an opportunity to explain his case to the court. Public prosecutors of the Uttar Pradesh government argue that the allotment of farmland to the actor was a case of “blatant forgery and fraud.”
