Will consider Paradise Papers cases on individual merit, says Arun Jaitley

The probe into the Paradise Papers leak on financial holdings abroad of over 714 Indian entities will follow the same process as the one in the Panama Papers investigation, Arun Jaitley said.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday the government will consider each case brought out by Paradise Papers on its “individual merit”.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley addresses a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

The government probe into the leaked documents from a Bermuda-based global offshore law firm, detailing financial holdings abroad of over 714 Indian entities and individuals, will follow the process similar to the one undertaken in the Panama Papers investigation, he told reporters.

“It will be found out that who are those people with totally illegal accounts and who have plausible defence.... Every case will be considered on its individual merit,” he said.

To a question, the finance minister said he would not comment on individual cases as there was a legal process in place to find out if accounts were legal or not.

A similar probe was undertaken by investigators into the Panama Papers, he said.

While some have illegal accounts, some others have said that they have followed due procedure, he said.

Official sources had said on Monday that a multi-agency group probing the Panama Papers leak will also look into the Paradise Papers.

Dubbed as Panama Papers, an investigation of a stockpile of records from Panamanian legal firm Mossack Fonseca by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalist had last year named several world leaders and celebrities who had allegedly stashed away money abroad in offshore companies.