Bentley trail shows Amar is Big B’s house

Bentley trail shows Amar is Big B's housemate

NEW DELHI: The tale of the Bentley gets more and more curious. The Samajwadi Party's Amar Singh had given the car, costing Rs1.7 crore, to actor Abhishek Bachchan as a birthday gift. The expensive present immediately sent a rumble of controversy speeding through the capital.

On Wednesday, agencies quoted Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf as saying that criminal proceedings may be initiated against Singh for furnishing an incorrect address. But his pronouncements on Thursday indicated the government's decelerating zeal to prosecute, if not its deployment of the reverse gear on the issue.

"I had said that we are looking into the matter and further action will depend on the findings," Yusuf said. "We have now found that Amar Singh wanted only a temporary registration in Delhi. Now, it is up to the Mumbai transport department to verify his address, as the permanent registration will be executed there."

The problem had arisen because the permanent address in Mumbai listed as his own by Singh turned out to belong to Amitabh Bachchan. "The car has been registered in the name of Amar Singh, who has shown his residential address as 'Jalsa' in Mumbai, which is apparently not correct," a Delhi transport official said.

But Singh was emphatic in dismissing the objection. "Jalsa is my official address in Mumbai, I live there," he said. "If Mr Bachchan says it is not so, then I am ready to face proceedings."

Singh said the procurement of the car had been wholly kosher. "I bought the Bentley and made the entire payment by cheque," he said. "When I have papers and my PAN to prove I can afford the car, where is the problem? The duties for the car have been paid in Delhi and I am going to pay the remainder in Mumbai."

Singh said he was going to take up Yusuf's initial statement with his lawyers. "I may file a defamation suit against Yusuf," he said.

For now at least, it seems the Junior B can continue taking his lady-love for long drives in his Bentley.

cheers

resh