Book Goel for tax evasion on haveli, AAP tells ACB

The AAP on Friday asked the anti-corruption branch to lodge an FIR against the Union sports minister Vijay Goel for his alleged impropriety in getting tax waiver for a haveli owned by his son Siddhant Goel in Old Delhi.

In its complaint to the anti-graft agency, the ruling AAP said the North MCD mayor and Mr Goel got an unlawful waiver of conversion/parking charges on the property — which is now being used as a heritage hotel.

Even before the tax benefits were extended to over 750 heritage buildings in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (NDMC) jurisdiction, the heritage conversion committee in its meeting Jan. 7, 2016, gave lone permission to Mr Siddhant Goel-owned Haveli Dharampura, AAP’s Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey said.

“Vijay Goel not only got his property exempted under heritage rules, but to mask the fraudulent activity done with collusion of NDMC, he also got status of other buildings changed in the area. The exemption was done on the ground that it is a heritage building and the overall estimated loss to the NDMC due to this comes to around Rs 25 crore,” AAP’s Seemapuri MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam said.

Mr Gautam said if the ACB fails to take cognisance of the compliant, then the party will explore legal options to pursue the matter. The party’s Delhi convenor said his party is also looking at what action the ACB takes against the Union minister.

“The ACB is very prompt when it comes to action against the Aam Aadmi Party (leaders). We are keen to see what action the agency takes against Goel. In the past, we have given several complaints against BJP leaders in the MCD, but there has been no action against a single leader,” Mr Pandey said.