NEW DELHI: A bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice A.K. Chawla of Delhi High Court dismissed the pleas of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi challenging the reopening of their tax assessment for the year 2011-12.
Rahul has moved the court challenging a notice issued against him by Income Tax Department seeking to re-open his tax assessment for financial year 2011-12 related to the transactions between National Herald and Young India Pvt Ltd (YI).
The judges also dismissed the petition of Congress leader Oscar Fernandes who too had challenged the reopening of his tax assessment for the same year. The Income Tax Department in March this year had served a notice to the Gandhis saying that their tax filings will be reviewed. The Congress leaders had challenged the notice in the court.
The I-T department has told the court that they have concealed facts for evading tax. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are major stakeholders in Young Indian which has acquired Associated Journals Limited (AJL). National Herald newspaper was published by AJL.
On March 19, the Delhi High Court directed Young Indian to deposit Rs 10 crore in the Rs 249.15 crore income tax proceedings against the firm. The bench has listed the matter for further hearing on August 14.
