The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Wealth case: Tax officials seek records

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 22, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Wealth case: Tax officials seek records

B.S. Ramesh

IT officials told to apply for records
The tax papers run to 500 pages

BANGALORE: The Income Tax (IT) authorities have obtained from a Bangalore court records pertaining to the wealth and income tax returns of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supreme J. Jayalalithaa.

The tax authorities wanted the original records pertaining to the income and wealth tax of Ms. Jayalalithaa for 1996-97. The originals of IT returns form part of the records of the Special Court in Bangalore that is hearing the disproportionate assets cases against her and four others, including Sasikala Natarajan, J. Illavarsi, T.T. V. Dinakaran and V. Sudhagaran.

The original assessment papers and other records relating to Ms. Jayalalithaa and the other accused were transferred from Chennai to Bangalore when the Supreme Court transferred the cases from a Chennai court to the Special Court in Bangalore.

A team of IT officials from Chennai had come to the Special Court located on the premises of the District and Sessions Court Complex on Old Post Office Road last month and sought details and copies of the records.

The court officials told them that the records form part of the proceedings relating to the disproportionate assets case and the originals could not be handed over. They said copies of the original records could be made available if the IT officials applied for them as per the court procedure.

The officials went back to Chennai and later addressed an official letter to the Presiding Officer of the Special Court, seeking all the wealth and income tax records of 1996-97. The letter was handed over to the court by a Bangalore-based advocate who represents the IT Department.

The court, official sources said, processed the request and decided to issue certified copies of all the original records for 1996-97.

The records were photocopied and certified and handed over to the IT officials two days ago.

Both the wealth and income tax records together run to 500 pages.

The sources said the IT department, in its application to the court, did not assign any reason for seeking the certified records.

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