I-T Dept says Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa's family paid over Rs 46 lakh in cash for house: Report

Tax authorities have found that Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa's family paid Rs 46.65 lakh in cash for construction of a building in Gurugram, The Indian Express reported.

The other findings include cash deposits amounting to Rs 4.93 lakh after demonetisation and a payment of Rs 9.57 lakh to the builder in Gurugram, which was sent through a domestic help’s bank account.

Lavasa's family members came under the authorities' scanner after complaints of evading tax, the report said.

The Income Tax (IT) Department has in the past six months issued tax notices to Lavasa’s wife Novel Singhal Lavasa, a former banker; sister Shakuntala Lavasa, a paediatrician; and son Abir Lavasa.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story.

Ashok Lavasa, Novel and Abir have not yet responded to requests for comment by The Indian Express.

PC Mody, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has also not yet responded when contacted by the publication.

The I-T Department had shared its report with the Department of Revenue in November 2019, the paper reported.

The four-storied building in Gurugram is jointly owned by the EC, his sister Shakuntala, wife Novel, son Abir and daughter Avny, the report said.

The tax authorities’ findings also mentioned a farmhouse in Karnal, owned by Ashok Lavasa, Novel and Abir.