An Allahabad court has slapped team Anna member Shanti Bhushan with a fine of 27 lakh rupees for evading stamp duty to the tune of 1.35 crore rupees. Assistant Stamp Commissioner K P Pandey today said that Mr. Bhushan, a former Union Minister, has so far paid 46,700 rupees towards the stamp duty for the purchase of the property spread over 7,818 acres of land in the posh Civil Lines area. He will have to pay within a month the outstanding amount, in addition to the fine, with 1.5 per cent interest with effect from 29thNovember 2010. The entire amount has to be paid within a month, failing which the department will initiate further action. Mr. Shanti Bhushan used to stay in the bungalow built on the land till the 1970s when he moved to New Delhi. He, however, did not give up the possession of the property and remained involved in a protracted litigation with the landlord before purchasing the land through an agreement to sell in November, 2010.It has been claimed by the department for stamp and registration that the veteran lawyer had shown purchase of the property for a paltry sum which enabled him to understate its value on which the stamp duty payable was calculated and 46,700 rupees was paid. A notice was issued to Mr. Bhushan in February last year for alleged evasion of stamp duty to the tune of nearly 1.35 crore rupees. However, Mr. Bhushan has been maintaining that there was no evasion of stamp duty on his part.