The Supreme Court on December 4 allowed the Income Tax department to continue with the tax reassessment of Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in a case related to the National Herald newspaper. However, it restrained the department to issue any final order while the case is being heard.
The SC, which is hearing a special leave petition filed against the tax department’s move to reopen tax assessment for 2011-12 against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, will next take up the case on January 8.
Gandhis had challenged a Delhi High Court order which dismissed their pleas to stop tax reassessment for the financial year 2010-11. Fernandes, too, has filed an appeal in the matter.
The lawyer for Gandhis had sought a stay of the High Court order, which was opposed by the IT counsel.
The Income Tax department has accused Fernandes and another Congress leader Motilal Vora, of devising a scheme involving “pre-ordinate artificial and fraudulent steps to take over AJL”.
The Congress Party has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “directing” the tax department to reopen tax returns of the Congress leadership after eight years.
