A Delhi court has imposed a cost of Rs.10,000 on the Income Tax Department for not providing documents on the source of information of foreign accounts of persons against whom it has filed complaints.
The Department had filed the complaints as the persons whom it wants to prosecute have failed to furnish accounts and documents sought by it under Section 276D of the Income Act.
“”In almost all the cases, the information is being withheld from the Court in respect of the source of information of foreign bank accounts of the accused persons,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma said, while pulling up the Department for not complying with his directions on the issue. Mr. Sharma also expressed apprehension that the accused might have undue advantage in these cases by advancing argument as there was no legally admissible evidence on record in respect of the source of information.
“Previously too there have been directions time and again to place on record the copy of the source of information so that no undue advantage to the accused persons may be there in future,” he added.
The judge gave one more opportunity to the Department to submit the documents and put up the case for further hearing on June 3.
