Pay up Rs9 lakh, taxman tells team Anna’s Kejriwal again
22 Oct 2011
Arvid Kejriwal, a former revenue officer and a key member of Anna Hazare's core team of anti-corruption crusaders, has been served a fresh notice by the Income Tax Department asking him to pay over Rs9 lakh in dues by the end of October.
The office of the chief commissioner of income tax had issued him a similar notice on 5 August. Kejriwal had at the time denied owing any unpaid dues, calling the notice political vendetta – a charge which he and his 'team Anna' associates repeated today.
The fresh notice has been issued to Kejriwal on the ground that he had violated bond clauses under which he went on a study leave for two years between 2000 and 2002 while still an Indian Revenue Service officer.
''Will reply appropriately,'' Kejriwal told PTI tersely when asked about the fresh notice.
When the Delhi tax commissioner's department wrote to him in 2007 and 2008 demanding clearance of his supposed dues, Kejriwal had responded that they may be waived as he did not violate any bond provisions, and had resigned from the job within the stipulated three years of rejoining duty following his study leave.
Kejriwal and other Hazare team members attacked the issuance of the fresh notice, terming it as an action instigated by the government's "dirty tricks department".