Barabanki SDM says Big B not a farmer, his certificate’s fake

The following is the verbatim translation of the letter written to the Tehsildar of Fatehpur by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Fatehpur-Barabanki, Mahendra Singh.

From the Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Fatehpur-Barabanki
No: 456/ST/06-07
Date: April 12, 2006
To
Shri Ajay Kumar Shrivastava
Tehsildar, Fatehpur
Janpad Barabanki

Please refer to your letter dated 15-03-2006 and my response to it dated 17-03-2006 and my affidavit dated 18-03-2006. In this context, I would like to inform you that on 11-04-2006, the new district magistrate, Shri Rama Shankar Sahu, took charge and on the same day the local officers, including you and me, had made a courtesy call on him at IPL Guest House. At 3.30 in the afternoon, the district magistrate called me alone to him chamber and, after formal introduction, asked me as to what was the case regarding Amitabh Bachchan and plot number 702 in village Daulatpur. I told him that no paper regarding this matter had come to my notice, but I’ve learnt that it’s being discussed in public and in the media. I told him that I have myself checked the present Khatauni and C. H. 45 available in the Lekhpal’s records on 23-03-2006 and found that plot number 702 in village Daulatpur has an area of 4,142 hectares and is marked as barren land in the records. How is Amitabh Bachchan connected with this land? I have no idea. The district magistrate, thereafter, showed me a piece of paper which happened to be a hand-written report dated 23-03-06 prepared by you but not addressed to anybody. In this report, you have certified that on the plot number 702 in village Daulatpur, Shri Amitabh Bachchan was cultivating an area of 2-1-9, and this has been happening for some time. You have said that the village head had also certified to you about Amitabh Bachchan cultivating the land; and you also spoke to the local revenue inspector and Lekhpal and they too acknowledged that Amitabh Bachchan was indeed cultivating the land.

The district magistrate asked me to take it as a fact that like hundreds of others, Amitabh Bachchan too was illegally occupying village society land and eviction proceedings against him under the law have to be initiated. You have the Tehsildar’s report in front of you, and you should grant your approval to the Tehsildar’s report. When I raised objections, he said that the matter was connected to the government and in any case steps for eviction were to be taken by the Tehsildar. Hundreds of cases are pending in courts, one more will make no difference. You grant your approval otherwise disciplinary action will be taken against you. On being left no option, I had to give backdated approval (17-03-2006) to your report.

After this, at 9.30 in the evening sub-divisional magistrate, Sadar, Shri Umesh Mishra called me many times on my mobile phone. He told me that the district magistrate wants me to see him at his residence at C-70 Butler Palace, Lucknow. So I should go with him to Lucknow. I went to the district magistrate’s C-70 Butler Palace residence with Shri Umesh Mishra at 12.30 on April 11/12, 2006. The district magistrate told me that he has had a discussion with senior people in the government about the matter and a certificate has to be issued in connection with (Amitabh Bachchan’s) possession of the land. He then produced before me three copies of a computer-printed certificate and asked me to sign, and said that he will counter-sign it and send it on his behalf to the government. I asked him to give me a day’s time to inspect the area and told him that after the inspection I will give him a certificate depending on the actual ground situation. He then put pressure on me and asked me to sign the certificate right away as it had to be faxed that night itself. He threatened me that if I did not sign the certificate right away, I would be suspended before I reach home. Realising that there was no way out, I signed the three copies of the certificate in back-date (18-03-2006). I took one copy and the district magistrate kept two copies. Next morning at 7.30 AM, sub-divisional magistrate, Shri Umesh Mishra, told me over telephone that that the district magistrate wants me to put my office seal on the certificate I had signed last night. He asked me to immediately take my office seal and go to the district magistrate’s residence at C-70, Butler Palace, Lucknow. I then asked the sub-divisional magistrate, Sadar, to tell the district magistrate that he had fraudulently got me to sign a wrong certificate in the middle of the night under pressure. I am not going to put any stamp on the certificates and he should return the two copies of the certificate to me. I will inspect the land and then only would be in a position to give my comments.

Therefore, please clarify to me in writing as to why did you give a back-dated (15-03-2006) report to the newly-appointed district magistrate on the possession of above-mentioned plot? Did you personally inspect the said piece of land? Where is the village head’s certificate? Did the regional Lekhpal and the revenue inspector give you any written report in this connection? On what grounds did you reach the conclusion that on plot number 702, Amitabh was cultivating 2-1-9 area of land? If it is a fact, then who on Amitabh’s behalf is cultivating the land? You know very well that Shri Amitabh, s/o Harivansh Rai, resident of 17, Clive Road, Allahabad is a world famous person. And if he had possessed land here, it would have been in everybody’s knowledge. Please send me your written report by 5 PM today come what may.

Sd/-
(Mahendra Singh)
Sub-Divisional Magistrate
Fatehpur-Barabanki

Following is the verbatim translation of the letter sent to District Magistrate, Shri Rama Shankar Sahu, by Sub-Divisional magistrate, Fatehpur-barabanki, Shri Mahendra Singh.

Shri Rama Shankar Sahu (IAS), District Magistrate sir, I request you to kindly return the certificate regarding possession of above-mentioned plot number that you got me to sign under threat of suspension and disciplinary action on the night of April 11/12, 2006 at your residence at Lucknow. The Tehsildar’s report appears to be prima facie unbelievable. Please direct me in writing, if you wish to have any certificate from me in this connection. After receiving your order, and after inspection of the site, I will provide a report as soon as possible. The back-dated (18-03-2006) certificate that you forced me to sign should be considered cancelled.

Sd/-
(Mahendra Singh)
Sub-Divisional Magistrate
Fatehpur-Barabanki