Govt discloses names of 18 persons in black money cases to SC

After resisting for more than three years, the Centre on Tuesday revealed names of 18 persons in the Supreme Court who allegedly stashed black money with the LST bank in Liechtenstein and against whom prosecution have been launched by the Income Tax department.

The names, listed in Centre's affidavit, include Mohan Manoj Dhupelia, Ambrish Manoj Dhupelia, Bhavya Manoj Dhupelia, Manoj Dhupelia and Rupal Dhupelia from Ambrunova Trust and Marline Management. The Centre said that IT department also found evidence against against four members of Manichi Trust -- Hasmuk Ishwarlal Gandhi, Chintan Hasmukh Gandhi, Madhu Hasmukh Gandhi and Late Mirav Hasmukh Gandhi.

It said that prosecution has been initiated against Chandrakant Ishwarlal Gandhi, Rajest Chandrakant Gandhi, Viraj Chandrakant Gandhi and Dhanalaxmi Chandrakant Gandhi from Ruvisha Trust.

Names of Arunkumar Ramniklal Mehta and Harshad Ramnikal Mehta from Dainese Stiftung and Dryade Satiftunf trust was also mentioned in the list. K M Mammen from Webster Foundation, Arun Kochhar from Urvashi Foundation and Ashok Jaipuria from Raj Foundation were also named. Centre also placed in a sealed envelope the names of other individulas with respect of eight other cases in which it found no evidence of tax evasion and asked a bench headed by Justice H L Dattu not to make public those names.

The bench, also comprising justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and Madan B Lokur, however, said that it will discuss the content of documents among themselves and will decide the issue on May 1.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court order in 2011 to make public the names of account holders in LGT bank received by it in 2009 from German tax authorities, Centre has not done so, drawing the ire of the apex court.

"It is respectfully submitted that the information regarding deposits/outstanding amounts in the accounts maintained by 12 trusties/entities with LGT bank in Liechtenstein was received by government from German tax authorities in March 2009 under the Indo-Germany Double Taxation Avoidance Convention.

"The 12 trusts/entitied involved 26 individuals of Indian origin. Out of the 26 cases, investigations in 18 cases have been concluded by the IT department and prosecutions have been launched in 17 cases (one tax payer has expired)," the Centre said in its affidavit.