Court to record pre-charge evidence against Burman on May 1

A Delhi court would next month record pre-charge evidence in an alleged tax evasion case against Dabur promoter Pradip Burman, whose name figures in a black money list submitted by the government to Supreme Court.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma, who was scheduled to hear the case today, could not record the statements of witnesses due to lawyers' strike.
The lawyers struck work after a young advocate was found dead outside an eatery in the Tis Hazari courts complex here this morning. Police have arrested two men in this connection and they are being questioned.
The court fixed May 1 for further recording pre-charge evidence in two alleged tax evasion cases involving Burman, who was granted bail but barred by the court from leaving the country without its permission.

It had earlier recorded the testimony of complainant Gaurav Dudeja, a senior Income Tax(IT) Department officer, who claimed that Burman has "wilfully attempted to evade tax" by not disclosing his foreign bank account in the initial return.
The officer had said that Burman also committed offence under the IT Act by not furnishing details or statements of the foreign bank account and wilfully made false statement during verification of his original income tax return.
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.