Nine Rajya Sabha MPs caught in alleged travel claim scam

Nine Rajya Sabha MPs were caught today in yet another scandal for India’s governing class, this time regarding leave travel concession. They allegedly used fake tickets to claim money. CNN-IBN reported that nine Rajya Sabha MPs had allegedly submitted inflated Leave Travel Concession claims. Sources also said that JD(U) leader Anil Kumar Sahni is allegedly the biggest offender in the scam. [caption id=“attachment_1064719” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Ibnlive[/caption] Sahni, however, denied such allegations. “I dont know anything about it. I went for a tour to Kolkata. I got my ticket done through an agent. I will inquire into the the matter,” he said. Sahani had allegedly provided boarding passes claiming a higher sum than the ticket had cost. CNN-IBN reported a CVC investigation has found that the Rajya Sabha MPs have claimed fake reimbursements for business flights that were not taken. The probe reveals how the MPs claimed the fare for business class while flying all-economy flights and also submitted business class boarding passes for flights that were never taken. MPs are allowed 34 air tickets in a year that can be used by them or any member of their families. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat shortlisted seven suspected cases and forwarded them to the vigilance department, which when further verified with Air India found shocking lapses, according to CNN-IBN The Rajya Sabha has sent letters to Air India and Jet Airways seeking information on this matter, but so far only Air India has replied. Investigations have revealed many fake Air India ticket numbers that do not match serial numbers.