New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday dismissed the pleas of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi challenging reopening of their income tax (I-T) assessments for 2011-12.
A bench of justices S. Ravindra Bhat and A.K. Chawla said, “The writ petitions have failed.”
The bench also dismissed the petition of Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, who too had challenged reopening of his tax assessment for the same year (2011-12).
The high court had on 16 August reserved its order on the pleas of the three leaders after the I-T department had contended that Rahul Gandhi’s tax assessment for 2011-12 was reopened as material facts were concealed. The bench had orally asked the tax department not to take any coercive step against Sonia, Rahul and Fernandes till pronouncement of its verdict.
Senior advocate P. Chidambaram, appearing for Sonia Gandhi, had said he had faith in the oral statement made by the additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta. Mehta had argued that the Congress leaders had alleged mala fide on the part of the tax department but had not made any averments in this regard.