IAC activists say they are open to probe : India

Pune/New Delhi, Oct 19 - India Against Corruption - activists Mayank Gandhi and Anjali Damania Friday said they were open to any kind of probe and were not guilty of any irregularities.

We have not committed any irregularities whatsoever and we are ready to face any probe to prove our innocence, they said addressing media persons here.

The Indian Express has come out with an allegation. There will be a number of allegations against us. We are upfront about investigations, Gandhi said, referring to a news item in the daily that Damania bought farm land in 2007 and sold it in 2011 after converting it into non-farm land in 2011.

Damania, on the other hand, accused politicians of shielding each other in corruption cases.

The allegations of corruption are being levelled against us because we have not succumbed to political pressure and have dared to expose corrupt politicians, she said.

I want to reiterate that we will not be threatened by such pressure tactics and we are open to any kind of investigation, she said.

Earlier Friday, IAC leader Arvind Kejriwal had announced that a panel of three retired judges would probe allegations of corruption against three key members of his party.

There have been allegations against Anjali Damania, Prashant Bhushan and Mayank Gandhi, Kejriwal said in New Delhi.

If the charges against anyone are found true, that person will be told to leave the party, he said, adding that the cases against the three would be forwarded to the IAC's internal Lokpal.

Damania said she would be answerable to all questions from the panel and will cooperate in the probe.

She, however, questioned the timing of the allegations against her and alleged that the political class is trying to confuse everybody.

Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice A.P. Shah, Justice B.H. Marlapalle - of Bombay High Court and Justice Jaspal Singh - of Delhi High Court are the internal Lokpal for Kejriwal's yet-to-be named political party.