Swiss govt issues notices for sharing of bank details of Cong leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, wife

New Delhi/ Berne: Switzerland government has issued public notices for sharing of details with India about Swiss bank accounts and other financial assets of Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi and his wife Renuka following receipt of an 'administrative assistance' request from the Indian authorities.

The Bishnois have been asked to reply within ten days to exercise their right to appeal against sharing of information as per the Swiss laws, according to two separate notices published in Switzerland's latest federal gazette, dated July 7, in Berne.

Similar notices have also been issued for Grande Maison Ltd and Hollyport Ltd -- two British Virgin Islands-based companies suspected to have links with the Bishnoi family.

Both the companies were incorporated on the same day on July 19, 1996 and also figured in 'Panama Papers', a leaked list of entities based in various tax havens. As per official records, both the companies were struck off from the registry of companies in April 2016 after remaining inactive since August 2014.

Repeated queries sent by the news agency to Bishnoi, a sitting MLA in the Haryana assembly, and his office remained unanswered.

In the notices, Bishnoi, his wife and the two firms were asked to appoint a representative within 10 days to assert their right to be heard against the 'administrative assistance' proposed by Switzerland's Federal Tax Administration.

Such assistance includes sharing of banking and other details of the individual or the company having accounts with banks or other financial institutions in

Switzerland.

While the notices did not disclose any specific details about the probe, such notices are typically issued by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration after receipt of a request by a foreign jurisdiction along with prima facie evidence of suspected tax evasion or other financial wrongdoings.