HC gives time to IT to engage senior counsel in PIL

The Bombay High Court today granted three weeks' time to the Income Tax Department to engage a senior advocate for representing it in a public interest litigation regarding Godzari irrigation project in Kolhapur.
The division bench headed by Justice P V Hardas was hearing a PIL filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar.
According to the petition, during a raid in 2011, the IT Department stumbled upon hand-written notes which contained mention of bribe paid by a Kolhapur-based company to government officers to expedite the project.
An assessment officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner prepared a report on these notes.

The Department should have shared this information with other agencies and it should be directed to share it with CBI, the PIL says.
Income Tax Department has filed an affidavit stating it has already shared the report with Regional Economic Intelligence Committee (REIC).
Today IT Department said it wanted to seek instructions from Central Board of Direct Taxes to appoint a senior counsel.