Arvind Kejriwal owes more than Rs 9 lakh to I-T dept

New Delhi, Sep 2: A week before Anna Hazare was to launch his indefinite hunger strike, his aide, Arvind Kejriwal was asked to pay a due of more than Rs 9 lakh by the Income Tax department.

The I-T department still considers Kejriwal as a government servant and have not accepted his resignation from Indian Revenue Service in Feb 2006 on claims that he violated bond conditions, said a report in the Times of India.

According to government, his resignation can only be considered after he pays the dues.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal remained defiant and said that he violated no bond conditions. He further said that the bond he had signed only said that he was not to resign or retire during the study leave period, adding that he did not violate any rule.

Kejriwal was accused by the I-T department of not returning back to government service after he was sanctioned study leave demanding that he return his two year's salary of Rs 3.50 lakh with an interest of Rs 4.16 lakh. Kejriwal also took a computer loan for Rs 50,000 which accumulated to Rs 1 lakh.

"I wish to state I have not violated any bond condition... The bond says that I will have to pay the penalty... in the event of my failing to resume duty or resigning or retiring from service or quitting service without returning to duty after the expiry or termination of period of study leave or failing to complete the course of study at any time within period of 3 years after my return from duty," Kejriwal said in a reply.

Kejriwal also said he joined work on Nov 1, 2002 after he took a study leave from Nov 1, 2000 to Oct 31, 2002.

"I completed three years in October 1, 2005 and I resigned only in February 2006. There is no question of my violating any bond conditions," he said.

Kejriwal was also on unpaid leave between 2004-2006.

"I have in my correspondence to the department attached copies of my bank statements clarifying that I have no money and the dues can be recovered from my GPF. I have not violated any bond conditions but even if I have, the department has the power to waive off the dues as I have been working in public interest," he said.

OneIndia News