New Delhi: After a Hawala at Midnight for AAP, the funds row has shifted to BJP now as the party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi's NGO Navjyoti India Foundation is said to have received funds from diamond merchant Harshad Ramniklal Mehta who is under scanner for non-payment of taxes.
As a matter of fact, Mehta is the owner of Mumbai based B. Arunkumar International and is one of the biggest diamond exporters in India. His company is also listed on Bombay Stock Exchange.
In May 2014, Central government submitted a report to Supreme Court, according to which Mehta and his brother Arun Kumar are amongst those 18 who have stashed black money with LGT bank in Liechtenstein. A prosecution against him has also been launched by the Income Tax Department.
Bedi, in an interview to Times of India daily, told that she does not intend to return Mehta's donation, and said the onus was on the owner of Rosy Blue Pvt Ltd, who has also been involved in the controversial Kochi IPL team deal.
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In the 2013 annual report of the foundation, Mehta's name has been listed as Foundation's UK Convener. He and his company Rosy Blue were listed as “supporters” in the next 2014 annual report.
Much earlier in May 2012 also, Bedi attended a charity event organized by Rosy Blue in Dubai to support her NGO which reportedly, works to support child education, skill development and women empowerment.
When the NGO's current list of donors' names was checked by the daily on the former's website, it showed the page to be under construction.
When Bedi was questioned if she was aware that Mehta was embroiled in a tax evasion case, she said, “He is a leading diamond seller in the world. However onus is on him, if investigated, to establish what kind of accounts he holds. I know him as a very supportive NRI for several worthy causes in India.... I am aware of his Kochi IPL interest only and that he withdrew from it. Why he withdrew and what happened am not aware of it as I had no access to more information.''
She further defended Mehta's donations by saying that “Ours is a perfectly legitimate transaction.”
She said that all the NRI donations made to her NGO, including that of Mehta were duly scrutinized by the concerned authorities of government.
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She added, “My Foundation work has been intensively audited and checked several times over. It has never received any objection from the FCRA department or income tax authorities.”
Reportedly, in response to the names on the HSBC list Bedi had tweeted, “All involved in HSBC Scam must get exemplary punishment. HSBC admits Swiss bank failings over client taxes.”
