Court to record pre-charge evidence against Pradip Burman on March 18

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today fixed March 18 for recording pre-charge evidence in an alleged tax evasion case lodged against Dabur promoter Pradip Burman, whose name has cropped up in a black money list submitted by the government to the Supreme Court.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma could not begin recording of pre-charge evidence today due to the lawyers strike.

The lawyers abstained from work protesting the killing of an advocate in Allahabad district court premises allegedly by a policeman last week.

73-year-old Burman, who was present in the court today, is facing prosecution in a complaint filed by IT Department alleging that he was holding foreign bank accounts which he had not disclosed in his income tax returns and there were undisclosed deposits in those two accounts.

The court put up the matter for March 18, which was already fixed for recording the pre-charge evidence in two alleged tax evasion cases involving Burman, who was earlier granted bail by the court but barred from leaving the country without its permission.

The IT department's complaint had said when Burman was questioned, he had denied having any account in foreign bank. But later when confronted with several documents, he had allegedly admitted to having bank accounts abroad.

Two separate cases were lodged against Burman under the IT Act for offences relating to concealment of income and tax evasion. The cases relate to assessment years 2006-07 and 2007-08.

IT department's counsel had earlier said "this case is out of several cases in respect to black money for which probe is going on by the and under the supervision of Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Supreme Court."

Government had on October 27 last disclosed before the apex court eight names including that of Burman, against whom it started prosecution for allegedly stashing black money in foreign banks.

The court had earlier dismissed Burman's plea seeking to stay the proceedings in the case, observing that it was filed apparently to "delay" the prosecution. The plea was also opposed by the IT department's counsel.

Burman, in his plea, had said he has filed an appeal in income tax (IT) tribunal against the assessment orders passed by the IT officer and till the pendency of the appeal, proceedings in the two cases be stayed.