The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the assessment orders passed by the Income Tax Department on July 15 with respect to the returns filed by Sivaganga Member of Parliament Karti P. Chidambaram and his wife Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram for the assessment year 2014-15.

They pertain to returns filed for the assessment year 2014-15

The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the assessment orders passed by the Income Tax Department on July 15 with respect to the returns filed by Sivaganga Member of Parliament Karti P. Chidambaram and his wife Srinidhi Karti Chidambaram for the assessment year 2014-15.

 

Justice S.M. Subramaniam quashed the orders after expressing displeasure over the officials having passed the assessment orders within 10 days after he dismissed previous writ petitions filed by the couple challenging the show cause notices issued with respect to the same issue.

Non-adherence

“I have passed numerous orders directing you to complete the assessment proceedings, have you shown the same urgency in all those cases?” the judge asked the Income Tax department after senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal complained about the non-adherence to the principles of natural justice.

Finding force in their submissions, the judge remitted the matter to the Income Tax authorities with a direction to provide adequate opportunity to the couple to defend themselves through examination or cross examination of witnesses.

The judge pointed out that the authorities had reopened the old assessment proceedings against the couple pursuant to recovery of certain materials during a search and seizure operation on the premises of Agni Estates.

Based on such seizure, the department had accused the couple of accepting part payment for sale of their property at Muttukadu near here in cash from Agni Estates and not disclosing such receipt in their IT returns filed in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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