Court reserves order on Dabur's Pradip Burman plea in tax case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on January 4 reserved its order on a plea of Dabur promoter Pradip Burman, whose name has cropped up in the black money list, seeking stay on proceedings in two alleged tax evasion cases in which he has been made an accused.

73-year-old Burman, in his application, said he has filed an appeal in income tax (IT) tribunal against the assessment orders passed by the IT officer and till the pendency of the appeal, proceedings in these two cases be stayed.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma reserved the order on the plea for February 19 after hearing arguments by the counsels for Burman and the Income Tax Department.

Income Tax Department's counsel Brijesh Garg opposed the plea saying it was not maintainable and Burman's appeal against the assessment orders had no bearing on the two cases. Burman is facing prosecution in a complaint filed by IT Department alleging that he was holding foreign bank accounts, which he had not disclosed in his income tax returns and there were undisclosed deposits in those two accounts.

In the plea, Burman has said that despite the pendency of appeal against the assessment order passed by the IT officer, the department has initiated proceedings in furtherance of which he was summoned to appear before the court. He has said in view of the pendency of appeal against the assessment order, it was imperative in the interest of justice that proceedings should remain stayed during this period.

The matter is presently at the stage of recording of pre-charge evidence in two alleged tax evasion cases involving Burman, who was earlier granted bail by the court but barred from leaving the country without its permission.