Black money probe: MPs ask Govt to release names of tax evaders

New Delhi: Members of a parliamentary panel have asked the Finance Ministry for details on information received from the French government on the accounts held by Indian nationals abroad and the follow up steps taken by the government, sources have said.

The demand was made at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance headed by BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha which was discussing the issue of black money.

Sources said that the officials of the Finance Ministry have assured the panel that they will submit details of the action taken next month.

The Income Tax Department is probing a list of 700 Indians having accounts with banks in Geneva after the government received information in this regard, reportedly from the French government.

However, the government has not disclosed the names of persons who were being probed by the Income Tax Department in connection with stashing of unaccounted wealth in overseas bank accounts.

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The Finance Ministry officials, sources said, explained to the committee that under the international tax treaties, the government can only disclose the names of the persons at the time of filing of prosecution proceedings.

There has been a public outcry over the black money issue after it was taken up by social activists like Anna Hazare and Ramdev.

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BJP leader L K Advani too had asked the government to disclose the names of 700 Indians who have accounts in Swiss banks.