A retired police officer from Sweden recently confessed that it was he who leaked information relating to pay offs in Bofors Gun deal. He also remarked that there was no evidence to suggest that Rajiv Gandhi was the beneficiary of the alleged pay off but suspicion remains on the massive cover up exercises undertaken to protect the identity of the alleged beneficiary which he conjured up as Ottavio Quottrochhi- a friend of Gandhi family.That will be the theme of yet another blog of mine but for the present his acquittal of mega star Amitabh Bachchan from any wrong doing - he suggested that some one in India wanted to plant his name in the deal- will be the theme of this blog. Amitabh had a sigh of relief and lamented that his parents are now not alive to hear his acquittal. He refused to take names as to who in India wanted him linked to the deal probably because he is no more. It is none other than Maharaja of Munda Viswanatha Pratap Singh, the greatest ever betrayer we have ever seen.

Well Big B has reasons to feel relieved. Media also shared his relief claiming him to an innocent bystander wrongly implicated in a political scandal. It could be true of the trumpeted charges on bofors pay off.

Big B had an innocuous start to his career as a theatre personality after he failed an audition test for AIR. Later on in his life Prasar Bharathi was to waive his dues of 140 million or so for guest appearances in endorsements for the broadcaster. Not even a penny of the dues owed by the mega star for availing the services in marketing his now defunct company Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd which went bankrupt was paid by him and he squared up his account by free endorsements.

True Amitabh rose to phenomenal heights as a mega star enthralling millions of his fans through stellar performances on the screen. When he was injured during the sets of coolie millions of his fans prayed for his recovery. He had cast such a spell on his fans few could have matched perhaps MGR of Tamil cinema. But MGR cultivated his image as a philanthropist over the years which the Big B was obviously not.

Bachchan went broke following the bankruptcy of ABCL and he owed a whopping 150 million or so to Canara Bank who swiftly put his house in Juhu on auction. A benevolent friend and later day political broker Amar Singh paid his dues and saved the ignominy of losing one's own house. This friend ship earned him membership of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam who made him UP brand Ambassador and paid him from the exchequer's account. Bachahan's second innings was from Kaun Banega Crorepati Show which improved TRP of the channel and simultaneously filled in his coffers. Tax men slapped a notice and big B argued that his earnings be exempted from tax for foreign exchange earnings by artists are exempted from the provisions of income tax law. Not even Vijay Kelkar would have imagined reveneue forgone on account of stupid exemptions could include such claims also.

Bachchan is a clever actor.He knew the pulse of his fans. For his huge fan following he could have contributed to societal causes much like his successor in Indian Cinema Aamir Khan. But he did not and yet hogged media limelight for nothing. His wife recently got elected to Rajaya Sabha on a SP ticket even after Amar Singh is licking the wounds inflicted by his ouster from the party. Atleast Jayaprada seems to be loyal and backing him but not Amitabhji.

It could be anyone's guess as to how innocent Mr. Amitab Bachchan is