Big B buys 2.4 hectare agricultural plot in UP village

Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan is apparently desperate to become a farmer.

Having wriggled out of the long drawn controversy about alleged "fraudulent" acquisition of agricultural land in Barabanki, about 40 km from Lucknow, the mega star has bought a huge plot of agricultural land in Kakori area in the outskirts of Lucknow .

While the deal was kept under wraps and Bachchan got the transaction carried out through a power of attorney drawn in favour of his representative Rajesh Rishikesh Yadav, the beans were spilled by the local land revenue office, where the sale deed was submitted for mutation of the plot in the name of the Bachchans.

Later on being contacted, Suman Dikshit, owner of one of the plots said, "Amitabh Bachchan has purchased 2.4 hectares of land in Muzaffarnagar village of Kakori. While part of the land is in the joint name of his wife and himself, another plot was purchased in the name of his actor son Abhishek."

Amitabh has allegedly paid Rs. 1.55 crore for the plot, while the other plot measuring about 2.3 hectares was purchased in the name of Abhishek Bachchan from  Nageshwar Mahadev Cooperative Housing Society in the same village.

The Bachchans have applied for mutation of the land in their respective names.

When contacted, sub-divisional magistrate Mahendra Sigh confirmed the Bachchans' land deal.

"The sale deed of the land purchased by the Bachchans was executed three days ago and they have now applied for mutation, for which certain formalities were required ; meanwhile  I am getting the documents examined," he said.

The deal is close on the heels of a petition moved by the village head of Daulatpur village in Barabanki district, seeking criminal proceedings against Bachchan for not keeping his commitment of building a women's college in the village.