A Delhi court has fixed July 24 for hearing arguments on framing of charges in an alleged tax evasion case against Pradip Burman, one of the Dabur India promoters whose name has cropped up in the list given by the Centre to the Supreme Court on the black money issue.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma put up the matter for arguments on framing of charges after concluding recording of pre-charge evidence.
“All the witnesses mentioned in the list of witnesses have been examined. Hence, pre-charge evidence stands closed. As prayed, put up on July 24 for arguments on charge,” the court said.
It has recorded statements of several income tax officials as pre-charge evidence in two alleged tax evasion cases involving Burman, who was earlier granted bail.
73-year-old Burman is facing prosecution in a complaint filed by the IT Department alleging that he was holding a foreign bank account which he has not disclosed in his IT returns and there were undisclosed deposits in that account.
The court had earlier recorded testimony of complainant Gaurav Dudeja, a senior Income Tax(IT) Department officer, who claimed that Burman has “wilfully attempted to evade tax” by not disclosing his foreign bank account in the initial return.
The officer had said that Burman also committed offence under the IT Act by not furnishing details or statements of the foreign bank account and wilfully made false statement during verification of his original income tax return.
Shortly after the disclosure in the Supreme Court in October last year, Dabur India promoter family, Burmans had said the account complied with all legal requirements.
“We wish to state that this account was opened when he (Pradip Burman) was an NRI, and was legally allowed to open this account,” a Dabur spokesperson had said in a statement.
