The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected petitons moved by the Congress party challenging the Income Tax department order on reassessment proceedings against it for four years.
A two-judge bench dismissed the peititions the Congress and the I-T Department agreed the latest petitions were covered by a recent judgement of the court with regard to the party's I-T returns for other assessment years.
The latest four petitions for other assessment years were dismissed by the Delhi High Court on similar terms today. The concerned assessment years were 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.
On March 22, the court dismissed petitions filed by Congress challenging the re-assessment proceedings initiated by the Income Tax department for the assessment years of 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. The Delhi High Court upheld the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) refusing to stay on the Income Tax notice for recovery of around Rs 105 crore as outstanding tax from the Congress.
The court, however, granted liberty to the Congress party to move the ITAT afresh with its grievances. The grand old party recently approached the ITAT against the recovery and also sought a stay against the I-T department proceedings of recovery and freezing of their bank accounts.
In its complaint, the Congress said that the I-T department has enforced its law by encashing some of the balances lying with the banks without waiting for the hearing's outcome. It also appealed that the department should not proceed further till the stay application is disposed.
Meanwhile, Congress has accused the Union government of attempting to financially "cripple" it ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. At a recent press conference of the Congress party, Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi said the money is being taken away forcibly from the party's bank accounts.
"This issue affects not just Congress, it impacts our democracy itself most fundamentally. A systematic effort is underway by the Prime Minister to cripple the Indian National Congress financially. Funds collected from the public are being frozen and money from our accounts is being taken away forcibly," Sonia Gandhi said.
During the same presser, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the bank account has been frozen to ensure the grand old party is not able to contest the elections on an equal footing. Rahul Gandhi also said that the party is not able to do campaign work and support its workers and candidates.