New Delhi: As part of its probe into alleged fake travel bills scam, CBI today examined Rajya Sabha MP Brajesh Pathak and former BJD MP Renubala Pradhan in connection with submitting of bills to claim reimbursement from the government coffers.
CBI sources said Pathak was asked in details in connection with the submission of bills worth over Rs 2.20 lakh whereas he paid only Rs 10,000 for his travels by Air India. When contacted, Pathak said the travel agent in Green Park here had booked ticket for him on the basis of which he travelled.
"The boarding pass and ticket were provided to me by the travel agent and my PA. I just travelled on that," he said. CBI recently registered cases against three sitting MPs, including Pathak, and three former MPs, including Pradhan, for submitting allegedly fake inflated bills for claiming reimbursement for their air-travels, the sources said.
It is alleged in the FIR against Pradhan that she had presented four bills worth Rs 1.62 lakh whereas Rs 5,600 was actually paid to Air India. Pradhan could not be reached for her comments on the development. However, soon after registration of the case against her, Pradhan had said "I don't know anything about the LTC scam."
She had also said that she would be meeting CBI officers to clarify her position. The sources said MPs had booked their tickets under an Air India promotional scheme where full fare economy class ticket passengers were entitled to have one ticket for their companion at much cheaper rates but submitted e-tickets of full fare for claiming reimbursement. They said that the difference of fare on companion ticket allegedly was a benefit to the concerned MP.
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