New Delhi: An Indian Express report on Monday said that “the number of Indians holding accounts in Swiss bank is actually double than what has been obtained by the Indian government”.
According to the list of HSBC account-holders received from the French Government, Indian government has claimed that there are only 628 individuals holding accounts abroad. The total bank balance from these names comes up to Rs 25,420 crore.
However, The Indian Express in its investigative report states that the number of Indians holding the accounts is 1195.
Names in HSBC Indian list
The paper further says that these account holders with money deposited abroad comprise of businessmen, diamond traders, politicians and NRIs/PIOs.
To name a few, the daily has openly quoted names of a few big shot businessmen - Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Anand Chand Burman, Rajan Nanda, Yashovardhan Birla, Chandru Lachhmandas Raheja, Dattaraj Salgaocar, Bhadrashyam Kothari and Shravan Gupta.
Diamond traders - Rusell Mehta, Anoop Mehta, Saunak Parikh, Chetan Mehta, Govindbhai Kakadia and Kunal Shah.
Politicians - Former UPA minister Preneet Kaur, Former Congress MP Annu Tandon and family members of former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane — his wife Neelam Narayan Rane and son Nilesh Rane — as well as family members of the late Congress minister Vasant Sathe and Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray.
NRIs/PIOs - Swaraj Paul, members of Manu Chhabria's family, Rajendra Ruia/Vimal Ruia and Naresh Kumar Goyal.
A Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice M B Shah, had stated in his last report to the government and the Supreme Court in December 2014 that the account holders names in HSBC Geneva list will be taken to their logical conclusion soon.
Last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also met his Swiss counterpart Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and discussed the issue.
In response to the daily's revelation, Jaitley, on Monday, said “Most of the names revealed in the list today are known to the government."
"Some new names have been revealed, whose veracity would be checked by authorities," he added.
He also disclosed that the assessment of 350 account holders has already been done and the rest will be done by March 31.
He stated that sixty prosecutions have been launched on those who have stashed money in foreign banks.
