nThe Special Court for the trial of MPs and MLAs in Chennai on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Karti Chidambaram MP and his wife Dr Srinidhi in connection with a tax evasion case and ordered the prosecution (Deputy Director of Income Tax Investigation ) to go ahead with the framing of charges.
When the plea by the Chidambarams came up for hearing on Tuesday, judge D Lingheswaran found merit in the evidence submitted by the prosecution and hence dismissed the request by the couple. The judge asked the prosecution to frame charges and ordered Karti and Srinidhi to be present in the court on January 21. If they fail to be present on that day, the judge said that warrant would be issued against them.
The Income Ta Department’s contention was that Karti, (son of former finance minister and Congress strongman P Chidambaram) and his wife Dr Srinidhi had received Rs 1.35 crore in cash towards the sale of a plot of land at Muttukad near Chennai but the same was not disclosed by them while filing tax returns.
The argument of Karti and his wife was that the said transaction was completed and tax returns were filed in 2015 itself. The Deputy Director of Income Tax (Investigation) Chennai had filed a complaint against the duo in September 2018 before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (Economic Offences) under sections 276(c)1 and 277 of the Income Tax Act. The case was later transferred to the special court for trail of MLAs and MPs.
During the hearing, the Income Tax Department told the court that Karti received Rs 6.38 crore in cash while his wife received Rs 1.35 core in cash for the same of the land.
It was also alleged that Nalini Chidambaram (Karti’s mother) received the payment in the form of cheque while the son and his wife received cash.
It may be remembered that the Income Ta Department and the Enforcement Directorate had conducted a joint raid at the office and residence premises of Karti in December 2015 and had seized several documentary evidences including electronic materials related to the transaction of money. The department had submitted the entire data to
the court.