Journalism of Courage
Although the Central government has submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court giving clean chit to former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan and his family members,the Income-Tax departments process to tax his son-in-law for alleged unaccounted income is still under way.
The assessment wing of the I-T in Kochi had issued demand notices to Balakrishnans son-in-law P V Sreenijan and his wife K B Sony to pay tax of Rs 2.2 crore for the period between 2007-08 and 2009-10. Another son-in-law K J Benny too faced a similar notice to pay Rs 1.2 crore. While Sreenijan moved an appeal against the demand notice,Benny complied with it. Benny had faced charges of a dubious deal of Rs 2 crore with a Delhi-based real estate developers project in Kochi.
I-T sources said they do not know under what circumstances the government had furnished the affidavit. In 2011,I-T director-general (investigations) E T Luckose had told the media that relatives of Balakrishnan,who currently heads the National Human Rights Commission,have unaccounted income.
Sources said it was true the probe did not show anything incriminating against Balakrishnan,but the assessment wing of the I-T department had issued demand notices to his sons-in-law to pay tax for their unaccounted wealth. We have given reports to the higher-ups in the Central Board of Direct Taxes. Normally,the tax assessment would take one or two years to complete the entire process, said a source.
The I-T department probed Balakrishnans family members based on a complaint that they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income since 2006.
Sreenijan said he had moved an appeal against the demand notice to pay tax of Rs 2.2 crore. I have moved the appeal against the department bid to tax my real estate property as per the market value,which is against the norms. I would legally fight the case. I have been paying tax since 2007 and have not tried to hide any property.
Sreenijan,who quit from the Youth Congress in the wake of the allegations,said the case had eclipsed his political career. I have moved an urgency petition with the I-T department to consider his appeal at the earliest.
