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Tax case: court notice to Mayawati

Staff Reporter

I-T department challenges Tribunal decision on gifts

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on a petition by the Income Tax department.

It challenged the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal’s decision in November 2007 accepting movable and immovable property transferred to her as gifts made “out of love, affection and personal esteem” by her supporters in the assessment year 2003-04.

Officer’s decision

The Assessing Officer of the Central Circle, New Delhi, earlier declared the amounts of three of these properties her income. The Tribunal gave her a clean chit on an appeal against the officer’s decision.

The department said the Tribunal failed to verify the facts of the claimed gifted property and evaluate them properly.

The three gifts, Rs. 2 lakh in cash and immovable property, were valued at more than Rs. 79 lakh at that time.

Providing details of the properties declared gifts by the Tribunal, the petition said the Chief Minister’s IT returns for 2003-04 claimed that Ashok Jain, a tax consultant, his wife Veena Jain and another person Pankaj had gifted the movable and immovable properties. Pankaj had also given Rs. 2 lakh in cash.

However, Mr. Jain’s IT returns for three consecutive years showed his annual income at Rs. 2.75 lakh, while he and his wife had purchased the gifted properties by taking loans, the petition said.

A Division Bench asked the Chief Minister to file her reply by September 26.

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