Panama Papers: I-T contacts Ajitabh Bachchan’s Bofors lawyer in London

Zaiwalla, who won the Bofors libel case for the Bachchan brothers in 1990, was, as The Indian Express first reported Monday, instrumental in bringing together Amitabh’s brother Ajitabh and late shipping magnate Mehernoosh Khajotia into a partnership that set up a bunch of offshore shipping companies in 1990-91.

READ | Firm Amitabh Bachchan denied link to acquired ship from his brother

Nile Shipping Ltd (Bahamas) was one of these companies from which Tramp Shipping Ltd (Bahamas), one of the companies where Amitabh Bachchan was director, acquired a ship in 1994.

READ | Amitabh Bachchan denied link, records show he joined board meetings via phone

The Income Tax department, it is learnt, wrote to Zaiwalla last month and requested his assistance in the ongoing inquiry into the Panama Papers. Contacted by The Indian Express, Zaiwalla said, in an email: “Yes, the Income Tax authority in India did contact me asking for assistance. My response was that I will consider their request if they approach me in a proper legal manner with a request through High Commission of India in London.”

As reported by The Indian Express, several company documents name Amitabh Bachchan as director in four offshore companies, record his participation in board meetings through teleconference, and acquisition of a ship belonging to company co-owned by Ajitabh Bachchan.

While Amitabh Bachchan denied any link to any of these companies, his brother Ajitabh claimed that Amitabh had nothing to do with his “legitimate shipping business”.

Video: What Do The Panama Papers Reveal

Earlier, in an email interview to The Indian Express, Zaiwalla confirmed that US $15 million of “Bachchans’ family wealth” was invested in an offshore shipping business partnership in 1990-92 and that he and Ajitabh Bachchan were partners.