New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday allowed the government to go ahead with reassessment of the income of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for year 2001, including expensive gifts, and restrained the Income Tax department from passing any order till the next hearing.
A bench of Justices B.D. Ahmed and Rajiv Shakdher then posted the matter to Jan 6 next year.
Mayawati approached the court against the government decision to initiate reassessment of her income for 2001.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister contended that the income under question in 2001 – immovable properties worth Rs.6.27 million and Rs.2.30 million as well as cash payments of Rs.200,000 – were gifts to her by her supporters.
The government has also approached the high court challenging the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal’s decision, which has given Mayawati a clean chit in a disproportionate assets case in 2003-04.
The government has alleged that she had tried to evade tax by showing sham transactions in the assessment year 2003-04, and prayed for setting aside the tribunal’s order.
While arguing, counsel for the government mentioned that the tribunal wrongly arrived at the conclusion in the matter. “The fact that gifts were given out of natural love of donors was unquestioned,” the petition says.