Departmental proceedings against Jaya in IT case withdrawn

The Income Tax departmental proceedings against AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and her close aide Sasikala in four cases have come to an end, as the final orders were passed by department on accepting the compounding fee.

When the case came up for hearing today, J Karuppiah, the counsel appearing for Jayalalithaa and others informed the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court through a memo that the final orders were passed by the department on the compounding fee.

Public Prosecutor for IT department K Ramasamy said he was filing a petition to withdraw the case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R Dakshinamurthy posted the matter for 3 p.m today for passing final orders.

On December one last year, Jayalalithaa and Sasikala in their individual capacities and a firm in which they are partners have together paid Rs 1.99 crore as compounding fee, setting in motion the process for the closure of the 19-year-old case against them.

While Jayalalithaa paid Rs 30,83,887 lakh, Sasikala paid Rs 28,07,972 to compound alleged offences under Income Tax Act for non-compliance in filing annual tax returns, both for the 1993-94 assessment year, a court here was apprised today.

Sasi Enterprises paid Rs 75,33,330 and Rs 65,67,872 as compounding fee for 1991-92 and 1992-93 assessment years.

Taken together, a fee of Rs 1,99,90,000 has been remitted in favour of tax authorities to compound alleged offences.

A request to compound offences were made on June 25 last year year to tax authorities by Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and Sasi Enterprises.

The Income Tax department's Regional Compounding Committee in its November 26 meeting last year, decided to accept the request, subject to remittance of the stipulated fee. On November 27, the payments were made.

The case has been going on at the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court at Egmore here.

The Income Tax department had launched criminal proceedings against Jayalalithaa and Sasikala for allegedly not filing returns in their individual capacity for the assessment year 1993-94.

Complaints were also filed by the IT department against Sasi Enterprises represented by its partners, Jayalalithaa and Sasikala for allegedly failing to file returns for the assessment years 1991-92 and 1992-93.