Tax Relief for Rajinikanth but Not Sasikala? Report here

The Income Tax (I-T) department on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that disgraced former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala would not be exempted under the new Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) directive, despite the value of her case being below Rs 1 crore.

This barely comes about a week after actor-politician Rajinikanth, who was previously imposed a penalty of Rs 66 lakh, was exempted under the same directive.

Earlier, the actor was called upon to pay a penalty of Rs 66 lakh was imposed on the Superstar in 2005 for concealing full particulars of income and for providing inaccurate information.

VK Sasikala had made a similar plea in the Madras High Court, asking that the same rule be applied to her as well. However, the I-T department told the Madras HC that this exemption cannot be made in her case since the prosecution has already been initiated for proceedings in her case.

Criminal proceedings against VK Sasikala being pending before the economic offences court in Chennai was another valid point being made by the I-T department.

The high court has directed the I-T department to file the status of the prosecution in two weeks.

In 1994-95, Sasikala filed her tax returns for Rs 28.86 lakh. A raid that followed brought up information that she had concealed 80 acres of land during that year.