NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a group of pleas by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against Income Tax authorities’ decision to transfer the tax assessments to its Central Circle.
The high court also upheld the income tax department decision regarding other NGOs related to the Gandhi family including Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust, Jawahar Bhawan Trust, and Young Indian.
The order was passed by a Division Bench of Justices Manmohan and Dinesh Kumar Sharma which was earlier reserved on March 15.
“The assessment of petitioners has been transferred to the Central Circle in accordance with the law. The present writ petitions are dismissed. Undoubtedly there cannot be guilt by association or relationship, yet in the present matters, assessments have been transferred for the purposes of a coordinated investigation,” said the bench while pronouncing the verdict, according to PTI.
“The parties are free to raise their contentions before the appropriate statutory authority,” the court asserted.
According to PTI, Gandhis challenged the order issued by the Income Tax principal commissioner to transfer their cases for the assessment year 2018-19 to the Central Circle.
Gandhis' pleas were against the faceless assessment by the Income Tax, saying the transfer of the tax assessments to its central circle is not marked to the Central circle but by an assessment officer concerned. This kind of assessment has the scope of unhealthy practices and avoids human contact, it was argued.
They also pointed out that “search and seizure” were used in a case that has nothing to do with Gandhis.
A detailed judgment will be made available later in the day.
(With inputs from PTI)
