Rs 13,860 cr declaration: I-T Dept to file police complaint against Shah

I-T officials stated that department has not been able to gather any authentic information from Shah

Having hit a seemingly dead-end in the Rs 13,860 crore of undisclosed income case, Income Tax (I-T) department is planning to file a police complaint against Ahmedabad-based real estate dealer Mahesh Shah who had declared the amount under income disclosure scheme (IDS) in late September this year. I-T officials stated that the department had not been able to gather any authentic information from Shah who has not been co-operating with it in the evidence.

"So far nothing has been found in our investigation related to the amount that Shah had declared with I-T. We called him and questioned him but he has not given any real names. Now we are considering to call him again and if we do not find any authentic and concrete proof, the department will file police complaint against Shah under Indian Penal Code (IPC) for false declaration," said a top official of I-T department in Ahmedabad.

Shah had disappeared after having failed to pay the first installment of tax on the declared money under IDS and suddenly appeared in public through a live television interview on a national channel, following which the I-T department and police personnel detained him.

In the interview, Shah had claimed the money did not belong to him and that he would declare names but so far in I-T investigation and questioning of Shah has not resulted in any such names surfacing. According to I-T department officials, Shah was non-cooperative during interrogation and that the officials would be forced to take action if he continued that way.

The department will also file complaint against chartered accountant Tehmul Sethna who brought Shah to the I-T for IDS. Though, officials did not share more information on it.

"Like Shah, we will also take action against chartered accountant Tehmul Sethna who brought Shah to us. Sharing wrong information under IDS is illegal and action might be taken against Shah for doing so and department will not let him go for this," said an official.

I-T officials claimed that from the time Shah disclosed the amount, the department has been suspicious about his claims over such a huge amount.