Black Money case: Kejriwal, Bhushan complain of some being treated selectively

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal today complained to the Special investigation Team (SIT) that out of the 628 people included in the black money list, some people were receiving selective treatment.

Kejriwal, who met the SIT along with Prashant Bhushan, said that the new government was just like the older one and was not working on bringing back black money.

He also alleged that the government was trying to save its people, just like the previous one.

"We told the SIT that action is being taken selectively, there are some people in that list against whom an income tax raid has been conducted, penalty has also been imposed on them, and they have also been prosecuted. Some are there from whom consent has been signed and such 200 people have signed the consent that if HSBC gives their bank account copy to income tax department then they don't have any problem, and out of those, the Income Tax department has already received the bank statements of 100 people," said Kejriwal.

He further expressed the need to get the same consent signed by all the 628 people apart from the NRIs and said that bank statements of all of them should be taken.

Kejriwal, however, also told the media that those who have signed the consent have been given an assurance verbally that they will not be prosecuted, which is wrong.

"We told them that five to ten people in this list are the most powerful ones from whom the previous government got a return revised. They were informally told that their name has been included in the list and were asked to get a return revised. In this there are many people of the Ambani family and there is neither any penalty nor any prosecution against them," Kejriwal said.

He also said that they have asked the SIT to act against this selective treatment.

"Bank statements of all the 628 people should be asked by the HSBC and each and every transaction should be investigated as it will reveal new people and their accounts. One of the judge said that we will take out the bank accounts of past 16 years," he added.

He further said that they have also asked the SIT for immediate inquiry against the HSBC and the officers involved.

"We have told them that the government hasn't taken any step against the HSBC which is the key in this, as it had been caught doing Hawala transaction and encouraging tax evasion. So if strict inquiry is done against them then it will give the copy of all the bank statements," Kejriwal further said.

He put forward the need to find out the source and destination of the money that was submitted in Swiss Bank, saying, "Where did it come from, is it extortion money, terrorism, murder, drugs, etc. and where was it going, what was its destination. They shouldn't just leave them only by charging tax but its source and destination should also be inquired and its information should be given to all the agencies.