Kiran Bedi accused of inflating travel expenses, says its all for a cause

New Delhi, Oct 20 (ANI): Former senior police officer and civil society activist Kiran Bedi has been accused of inflating travel expenses she has been charging NGOs and institutions which invite her for seminars or meetings.

Records of bills, invoices and copies of cheques with The Indian Express show that Bedi, who is entitled to a rebate on Air India tickets as a gallantry award winner, pays discount fares but charges her host institutions the full fare. She has also, at times, claimed Business class fare while flying Economy.

The newspaper has 12 recorded examples of this, some of which date back to 2006 when Bedi was a serving IPS officer. Her last such travel for which an inflated invoice was sent was as recent as September 29.

Dismissing the report, Kiran Bedi said: "We follow transparent methods of functioning and volunteer to be questioned or audited. Every penny in our work is accounted for and is for the facilitation of causes we espouse."

"We have been very conscientious of trust and responsibility... And hence punctual and meticulous in our systems," she added.

She further said she have been invited from many organisations. Some media origination also invited her for speaking engagement and they offered business class fair.

She said when that invitation come she takes a decision whether she travel business class or downgrade herself.

"I sometime chose to downgrade my self and go by economy and let the money which is saved by travelling by economy remain in the foundation..There is no money which I withdraw," she said.

"The check is in foundation. Saved money is in foundation. The withdrawal in is foundation. And when I travel, I let the organisers know that I have travelled the economy and saved the money for foundation. And the organisers even appreciate my gesture" she added.

She further informed that that the saved money remain with foundation and used for causes.

"Basically it's a cause to a cause. Every penny in our work is accounted for and is for the facilitation of causes we espouse," she said. (ANI)