The petitioner, a social activist and lawyer, alleged that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's family used a Navy copter to attend a wedding while in Goa.

Goa-based social activist and lawyer Aires Rodrigues on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an inquiry into an alleged misuse in Goa of a naval helicopter by the family of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

In a complaint faxed to the Prime Minister, the activist has pointed out that Arun Jaitley’s wife Sangeeta and daughter Sonali who arrived in Goa from Delhi on December 23 by the Indigo flight 6E-335 on a private visit to attend a wedding were flown by a naval helicopter from Dabolim airport to the five-star Lalit Golf & Spa Resort at Canacona in South Goa.

Alleging that this misuse of the naval copter was at the instance of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and was clearly a gross abuse of power and an unnecessary burden on the Exchequer, Mr. Rodrigues has stated that it was also contrary to the government’s mantra of good governance and high probity in public life.

Stating that those in power are expected to be sincere custodians of the State and should under no circumstances abuse and misuse their authority, Mr. Rodrigues has sought the Prime Minister’s immediate intervention and prompt action in the matter. Mr. Rodrigues has further demanded that the Government must recover from Mr. Jaitley the undue expenditure incurred in ferrying his wife and daughter by that naval copter.

Seeking action against Mr. Jaitley within 15 days, the activist lawyer has in his complaint stated that if no action is taken he would be constrained in public interest to move the Bombay High Court at Goa for appropriate orders.

He has in his complaint also stated that it was an irony that on a day which the government has declared as ‘Good Governance Day’ he had to seek the Prime Minister’s intervention to the blatant misuse of the naval copter and criminal waste of public funds by none other than the Finance Minister.

Arun Jaitley's response:

Further to publishing this report, Arun Jaitley has responded on his Facebook page.

"The online edition to “The Hindu” has reported that a Goa based activist has asked the Prime Minister to order an enquiry on the alleged misuse of naval helicopter by my wife and daughter on 23rd December at Goa. The news item mentioned that one Mr. Aires Rodrigues has claimed that my wife and daughter were flown by a naval helicopter from Dabolim Airport to resort at Cancona in South Goa. He has further alleged that the naval helicopter was made available at the instance of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

2. The news item is entirely false on three counts: Firstly, it was my wife and son (not my daughter) who were in Goa on 23rd December. Secondly, they did not use any governmental facility, least of all a naval helicopter. Thirdly, Manohar Pariikar, the Defence Minister, had not sanctioned the use of any Defence helicopter for them. In fact, since it was a purely a private visit, Manohar Parrikar was not even aware of the fact that they were in Goa.

3. No activist has a right to invent falsehood and then publicize it over the social media. I am waiting to see whether this activist and the online editions, which have published the statement without verification, retract from the falsehood and tender apology and express regret over the same."