I-T notice to Ashok Lavasa's wife

New Delhi: The Income Tax Department on Monday served a notice to Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa's wife, Novel Singhal Lavasa in connection with her income as the independent director of multiple companies.

According to sources in the know, the I-T notice was served under Section 138 of the Income Tax Act and officials also reportedly questioned Novel at her residence after serving the notice.

The I-T department is looking into Novel's income as a director in multiple private companies. In May this year after Lavasa had hit the headlines for being the only dissenting voice in the Election Commission while alleged Model Code violations by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party were being probed, several reports were published about Novel's directorship in over a dozen private companies, mostly power firms.

Interestingly, Novel was appointed as a director on the board of four power firms on the same day. These firms include Dreisatz Mysolar 24 Pvt Ltd, Welspun Solar Tech Pvt Ltd, Welspun Energy Rajasthan Pvt Ltd and Welspun Solar Punjab Pvt Ltd, where Lavasa's wife was appointed a director on September 14, 2016.

Apart from such power companies, Novel also holds directorship in a sugar mill known as Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd from February 2015. At the time, Lavasa was the Environment, Forests and Climate Change Secretary.