Black money list: Court to hear Pradip Burman case next month

Burman's name had cropped up in the list given by the Centre to the SC on the black money issue

A Delhi court has fixed August 20 for hearing arguments on framing of charges against Dabur India promoter Pradip Burman in an alleged tax evasion case.

Burman's name had cropped up in the list given by the Centre to the Supreme Court on the black money issue.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pritam Singh put up the matter for August 20 after the lawyers informed the court that they are on a strike.

The lawyers in the six district courts here are on an indefinite strike protesting the delay in passage of an amended Bill in Parliament regarding enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of trial courts.

The court had earlier fixed the case for today after concluding recording of pre-charge evidence.

It has recorded statements of several income tax officials as pre-charge evidence in two alleged tax evasion cases involving Burman, who was earlier granted bail.

73-year-old Burman is facing prosecution in a case filed by the IT Department, where it has alleged that he was holding a foreign bank account which he had not disclosed in his IT returns and there were undisclosed deposits in that account.

Shortly after the disclosure in the Supreme Court in October last year, Dabur India promoter family, Burmans had said the account complied with all legal requirements.

"We wish to state that this account was opened when he (Pradip Burman) was an NRI, and was legally allowed to open this account," a Dabur spokesperson had said in a statement.

The court had earlier granted bail to Burman but barred him from leaving the country without its permission.

The department has booked him for offences punishable under sections 276C(1) (wilful attempt to evade tax, penalty, interest), 276D (failure to produce accounts and documents) and 277 (false statement in verification) of the IT Act.