Sahara Papers: Shivraj, Raman, Left, Congress leaders also named

Sahara papers seized by the Income Tax Department provides details of the money paid to scores of other leaders besides the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi

Photo by Shankar Mourya/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

NH Political Bureau

Updated: 28 Jun 2017, 5:03 PM

Sahara papers seized by the Income Tax Department provides details of the money paid to scores of other leaders besides the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. Details from the Sahara papers were submitted by the NGO Common Cause to Supreme Court in its PIL seeking a court-monitored inquiry into charges of money paid by two corporate bodies to several politicians.

The papers from the PIL include lists naming the then Gujarat chief minister differently as Modi Ji, Narendra Modi and Gujarat CM. It is not clear from the papers whether a total of ₹40.1 crore were paid to him on nine occasions or if ₹55 crore were paid on 13 occasions.

At least two chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh and Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh are also named along with the amounts of money paid, the dates when the money was delivered and the names of people who carried the money.

The PIL says the papers were seized during an Income Tax raid in three premises of Sahara Group of companies in Delhi in November, 2014.

The papers go on to name a large number of politicians cutting across the political spectrum. There are some politicians of Left parties too who figure in the list as well as several prominent Congress leaders.

According to information available, a voluminous ‘Appraisal Report’ has been prepared by the Department even as the Sahara Group has approached the Settlement Commission to settle the case by paying tax due on the unaccounted money. According to the Income Tax Act, the case is expected to be disposed by March, 2017.