By IANS,
Chennai : The Madras High Court Tuesday quashed 23-year-old pending proceedings against four suspended income tax officials, well past the retirement age now, and rapped the Central Bureau of Investigation for tarrying over a minor matter.
“The prosecution has to be faulted for not conducting a single witness’ examination during this period after the authorities concerned had withdrawn the charges several years ago,” Justice K.N. Basha observed in his judgement quashing the matter.
“Petitioners Balasubramanian, Manoharan, Ettappan and Paari have been exonerated of all charges long ago which were anyway very minor entailing grant of tax exemption to some employees in a private enterprise on medical grounds. This is a serious miscarriage of justice,” senior counsel K. Kumar had contended during his arguments while appearing for the plaintiffs.
The judge overruled CBI counsel R. Chandrasekhar’s objections against the quashing.