Four days after The Indian Express reported how, in at least 12 instances, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi raised inflated air fare invoices to overcharge her host NGOs and institutions, Bedi announced today that the “balance amounts” were being returned “forthwith”.
“Foundation trustees have passed resolution directing me (to) travel strictly as per invite. This leaves no room for discretion…Trustees have instructed travel agent to return the balance amounts forthwith,” she tweeted.
This was a clear climbdown from her earlier refrain. To those who questioned her bills, her stock tweet was: “You are committing a sin.”
But in Mumbai today to receive an award, Bedi ducked all questions saying, “A rose comes with the thorns.” She didn’t specify how many inflated invoices in all she was referring to, what the total balance amounted to, or the time frame in which this payment would be made.
These issues assume significance given that The Indian Express has tracked — with records of bills and invoices — at least 18 more examples in which false invoices were raised to overcharge organisations for her travel. In most of the cases, she claimed Business while paying for discounted Economy. In some cases, she charged inflated Economy tickets too:
With award Discount…
On these flights, Kiran Bedi used the
75 per cent discount she is entitled to as a gallantry award winner
* May 13, 2009
Indore to Mumbai on IC 134, then to Delhi on IC 605 the next day
Total fare paid: Rs 10,029 (Economy)
Invoices generated for: Rs 20,054 (Business), Rs 7,965 (Economy)
* May 4, 2009
Delhi to Mumbai on IC 657, back the same day on IC 888
Total fare paid: Rs 12,589 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 40,208 (Business)
* April 6, 2009
Delhi to Goa on IC 865, back the next day on IC 866
Total fare paid: Rs 14,378 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 39,647 (Business)
* March 31, 2009
Delhi to Patna on IC 407, then to Bhubaneswar on IC 878 the next day
Total fare paid: Rs 12,912 (Economy)
Invoices generated for: Rs 16,035, Rs 26,386 (both Business)
* February 7, 2009
Mumbai to Delhi on IC 810
Fare paid: Rs 6,223 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 22,477 (Business)
* January 31, 2009
Delhi to Kolkata on IC 401, back on IC 263 the next day
Total fare paid: Rs 13,129 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 35,417 (Business)
* January 9, 2009
Delhi to Pune on IC 849, back on IC 850 the next day
Total fare paid: Rs 13,524 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 37,516 (Business)
* December 24, 2008
Delhi to Mumbai on IC 887
Fare paid: Rs 6,392 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 14,516 (Business)
* November 25, 2008
Delhi to Bangalore on IC 803, back on IC 404 the same day
Total fare paid: Rs 16,447 (Economy)
Invoice generated for: Rs 44,654 (Business)
…And Without
Bedi did not use the discount on these but her bills were still inflated
* May 6, 2011
Delhi to Ahmedabad on 9W 2064, then to Mumbai on 9W 338 the next day and onward to Pune on 9W 202
Fares paid: Rs 5,569 (Delhi-Ahmedabad), Rs 5,923 (Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune)
Bills submitted for/amounts received: Rs 21,234 (Business), Rs 20,763 (Economy)
FICCI Ladies Organisation-Ahmedabad chapter paid, by HDFC cheques
* March 24, 2011
Delhi to Chandigarh on IT 4635, back the same day on IT 4634
Total fare paid: Rs 9,121
Bill submitted for/amount received: Rs 15,278 (Economy)
Paid by Canara Bank cheque
* March 19, 2011
Delhi to Bangalore on AI 506, back the same day on 9W 812
Fares paid: Rs 5,645, Rs 7,935
Bill submitted for/amount received: Rs 48,584 (Business)
Paid by Indian Bank cheque
* November 11, 2010
Delhi to Mumbai on IT 308, back the same day on IC 605
Fares paid: Rs 7,476, Rs 6,773
Bills submitted for/amounts received: Rs 46,887 (Business)
Mumbai-based Lintas India Pvt Ltd paid, by HSBC cheque
* June 18, 2010
Bangalore to Pune on IT 3409, then to Delhi on 9W 364 the same day
Fares paid: Rs 3,676 and Rs 8,046
Bills submitted for/amounts received: Rs 29,666. Bill cited Economy for Bangalore-Pune, Businesss for Pune-Delhi.
Mumbai-based Cathedral Vidya Trust paid, by HDFC cheque
* May 22, 2010
Delhi to Jaipur on IT 4315, back the same day on IT 4313
Total fare paid: Rs 7,042
Bills submitted for/amounts received: Rs 14,057. (Economy)
Rajasthan College of Engg for Women paid, by SBI cheque
* December 16, 2009
Delhi to Guwahati on IC 8611, back on IC 8612 the next day
Totalfarepaid: Rs 17,081
Bill submitted for/ amount received: Rs 39,100 (Economy)
Guwahati-based Sanskriti the Gurukul paid, by HDFC cheque
* August 6, 2009
Delhi to Mumbai on IC 165, back the same day on IC 888
Total fare paid: Rs 8,689
Bill submitted for/amount received: Rs 32,495 (Business)
Mumbai-based Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad paid, by SBI cheque
* June 13, 2009
Delhi to Bangalore on IT 3212, back the next day on IC 804
Fares paid: Rs 6,728 and Rs 7,672
Bills submitted for/amounts received: Rs 44,862 (Business)
Bangalore-based Centre for Development Education paid, by SBI cheque