I-T case: Defer passing of final order against Capt’s son, HC tells Ludhiana court
CM and his son are facing allegations of making false statements and wilful omission in providing required information to the I-T department, which had filed a criminal complaint against them before the Ludhiana court in 2016
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday requested a Ludhiana trial court to not to pass a final order in an income tax (I-T) case against Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh.
The bench of justice HS Sidhu recused from hearing the plea of the income tax department and ordered that matter be placed before the chief justice to list it before some other bench. The bench also requested the trial court to defer the passing of the final order, pending the listing of this case before a high court bench in view of his recusal.
Earlier, the court was told by I-T department’s counsel that if the matter is not taken up today and the trial court proceeds to pass the final order, the present petition would become infructuous.
The I-T department had moved the high court in 2019 against the November 2018 order of the court of additional sessions judge, Ludhiana, quashing the summoning order passed against Amarinder Singh and his son Raninder Singh in this case. A trial court had earlier issued summons to both of them to appear personally for the hearing.
Both are facing allegations of making false statements and wilful omission in providing required information to the I-T department, which had filed a criminal complaint against them before the Ludhiana court in 2016.
According to the department, both were beneficiaries of foreign assets maintained and controlled through various business entities and also of foreign bank accounts maintained with a bank in Geneva. The I-T department claimed that the chief minister’s son is a direct beneficiary of assets maintained and controlled through foreign business entities. However, Raninder had denied any association with these entities.