Indian
Express: New Delhi: Saturday, November 17, 2012.
Central Board
of Direct Taxes has said it does not have any information about names and
addresses of Indians who have reportedly stashed money in Swiss banks.
The CBDT, a
part of Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry, said this when the
matter came before the CIC where Information Commissioner Rajiv Mathur was
hearing a plea of Uttar Pradesh-based RTI applicant Rajkumar Singh. Singh had
sought names and addresses of Indians who have accounts in Swiss banks.
In its
response, the CBDT claimed that it did not have any such information about
Indians having funds in Swiss bank accounts. This response was upheld by the
Appellate Authority in the CBDT.
The Central
Information Commission found the response of CBDT in accordance with law and
refused to interfere in it.
"Appellate
Authority vide order dated June 18, 2011, observed that the appellant had
requested information on names, addresses and details of all Indians who have
deposited money in Swiss Banks as also the amount of money deposited.
"Appellate
Authority held that no such information relating to names and addresses of
Indians having Bank account in Switzerland is available and upheld the decision
of the CPIO...The Commission sees no reason to interfere with the orders of the
CPIO/AA," Mathur said in his order.
Arvind
Kejriwal had recently raised the issue of people having stashed money in the
Switzerland-based branch of an international bank in his press conference. However,
details of any 'Swiss' bank did not surface during the press conference that he
addressed.
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