Team Anna joins ranks behind Kiran Bedi

Claims charges against Bedi are fraudulent

PTI | November 28, 2011



Coming out in strong support of Kiran Bedi, Team Anna today said a case of misappropriation of funds has been lodged against the activist not for fraud and cheating but for fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the complaint against Bedi was "completely fraud, malicious and malafide".

"The complaint of misappropriation of funds against Kiran Bedi is false, malicious and malafide.... It was lodged against Bedi not for fraud and cheating but for fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill," Kejriwal told reporters here.

Claiming that efforts were still on to defame Team Anna members, he said, "We want to say it categorically that it is a false complaint. The court order is wrong. There is no prima facie evidence supporting this complaint."

Kiran Bedi and her lawyer Somnath Bharti were present at the press conference and interestingly, the former IPS officer did not speak to reporters or take any questions.

Delhi Police had slapped a case of cheating against Bedi for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for her NGOs in line with a court's directive.

The court order came on a complaint filed by a Delhi lawyer that she had "looted" various paramilitary forces and police organisations in the name of imparting free computer training under the banner of her NGOs.

The lawyer alleged that Bedi had received donations of more than Rs 50 lakh from Microsoft for imparting free computer training to kids and families of BSF, CISF, ITBP, CRPF personnel and other state police organisations under the banner of her trust 'India Vision Foundation'.

Kejriwal also alleged that "vested interests" and "corrupt people" who do not want a strong Lokpal Bill were out to derail the anti-corruption movement.

"It is their unsuccessful attempt," he said.

He also said Bedi has decided not to appeal against the lower court's order in an higher court.

"She has decided not to go to higher courts. She has decided to cooperate with the police during investigation," he said.

On reports that Left wing extremists have called Anna's movement "anti-poor", the former IRS officer dismissed the suggestion and said the movement was to save the poor from corruption.

Comments

 

Other News

Farm stability in the time of climate change

Indian agriculture is experiencing significant climate volatility, while the world economy seems to be in a highly volatile situation. Economic indices from various countries show that they need to recalibrate their strategies to withstand economic headwinds. In such a challenging situation, a country li

El Niño threatens India’s Rabi crops

India’s southwest monsoon ended with a 13% rainfall deficit in 2026, its weakest performance in a decade, raising concerns over agricultural production, water security and the upcoming rabi season. With El Niño expected to persist into early 2027, experts warn that declining soil moisture, dep

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal

A right she cannot reach

Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter