Kejriwal's wife takes VRS- Is she the victim of tussle between Centre and Delhi Govt?

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita has taken voluntary retirement from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), after serving for nearly 22 years in the Income Tax department.

Sunita, last posted as Commissioner of I-T in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Delhi, had sought VRS earlier this year and an official order has now been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the cadre controlling authority of the department, officials said. The order, accessed by PTI, said her VRS would be effective from July 15.

"She will be able to enjoy her pension benefits as she has served over 20 years in service," a senior official said.

However, sources close to the Delhi Chief Minister said, "Sunita feared of victimisation by the Centre amid the ongoing tussle between the AAP government and the BJP-led Union government on several issues, and hence she sought VRS."

51-year-old Sunita, a 1993-batch IRS officer, had met Kejriwal, a 1995-batch IRS officer, during a training programme at Bhopal after which they decided to get married. As per records, she holds a Masters degree in Zoology.

When Kejriwal contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Sunita had taken a long leave from office.

"She knew her service compulsions, so could not campaign openly for him. But as a wife, she took charge of the kitchen and fed party supporters, who had come to campaign for Arvind. This was her way of backing her husband and also not breaking the service rules," said a close aide of Kerjwal.

Incidentally, Kejriwal too had taken retirement from the service after a brief stint as an IRS officer.