IT detects Rs 360 cr wealth from suspended MP officer-couple

Bhopal, Jan 19 (PTI) The Income Tax department hasclaimed to have detected wealth valued at a whopping Rs 360crore from suspended Madhya Pradesh IAS officer couple Arvindand Tinu Joshi and disproportionate to their known source ofincome.

Department sources said here today that the biggestamount of ill-gotten money probably detected from any IASofficer in the country was unearthed following several IncomeTax raids on the premises of the duo. The first raid onFebruary 4 last had yielded Rs three crore and a number ofdocuments about their alleged unaccounted investments, thedepartment claimed.

Jewellery worth Rs 67 lakh and foreign currency worthRs seven lakh and seven suitcases were also recovered duringthe raids, the department claimed. The raids were carried outfollowing complaints that the officers had allegedly made hugeinvestments in an insurance company.

In a 7,000-page appraisal report submitted recently tothe Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, Avni Vaish and Lokayukta PV Naolekar, the department has given details of investmentsmade by the Joshis.

Both Arvind and Tinu, who are 1979-batch IAS Officersof the Madhya Pradesh Cadre, have held important positions inthe Centre since the late 80s.

Tinu served as Deputy Secretary in the PMO from July 1,1988 to January 1, 1990 while Arvind was Joint Secretary inthe Defence Ministry during the 1999 Kargil hostilities.

As per the report, the two have made investments in anumber of areas ranging from agriculture to real estate andstock market.

The couple purchased agricultural or non-agriculturalland at a number of places including Kanha and Bandhavgarhnational parks, Raisen, Balaghat, Sehore and Bhopal, thereport said.

The report also alleged that the couple purchased 25flats of which 18 are in Guwahati, six in Bhopal and one inNew Delhi.

Papers about seven plots at Patel Nagar have also beenrecovered from their possession, it said.

The report also claimed that Arvind Joshi had allegedlyindulged in speculative trading in shares, futures and optionsto the tune of Rs 270 crore in the last three years.