7 MPs, 98 MLAs under I-T lens over assets declaration

THE IT DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER, DID NOT DISCLOSE DETAILS OF THE LEADERS UNDER SCRUTINY NOR THEIR PARTY AFFILIATIONS

income-tax department has initiated investigation against seven Lok Sabha members and 98 assembly members after it found discrepancy in their assets declaration, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said result of preliminary probe conducted against 42 more members of legislative assembly was awaited. Similar inquiry was pending against nine Rajya Sabha MPs, the affidavit mentioned.

Further action against these leaders, the department said, will be taken once it gets verification reports from director generals of Income Tax.

The department, however, did not disclose details of the leaders under scrutiny nor their party affiliations. According to CBDT, I-T investigations are exempted under the transparency law, the Right to Information Act, and therefore details would be placed before the court in a sealed cover.

A bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar is likely to take up the affidavit on Tuesday when it hears a PIL filed by Lucknowbased NGO, Lok Prahari and Association for Democratic reforms (ADR) that works in the field of election reforms. Both want the court to make it necessary for politicians to declare their and family members’ sources of income. The discrepancies were found in the mandatory affidavits filed by the MPs during the 2014 general elections and MLAs during their last elections to the respective state assemblies.

CBDT admitted receiving a list of number of candidates for verification of their affidavits from the petitioners. The list was of 26 Lok Sabha MPs and 215 MLAs. I-T department had assessed the affidavits of only these leaders and not the others.

As per I-T’s assessment, no discrepancy was found against 19 Lok Sabha MPs and 117 MLAs.

SC had on the last date pulled up the government for not furnishing relevant information after it claimed some elected representatives were under I-T lens after a massive jump was witnessed in their wealth.