HC stays summons issued against Kalanithi Maran in IT case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today stayed summons issued by a trial court against Spicejet's former Chairman Kalanithi Maran in one of the two tax evasion cases for his alleged failure to deposit TDS of two years of the airline with the Income Tax (IT) Department.

Justice Suresh Kait passed the order on Maran's plea for quashing and setting aside of the trial court's July 20 and August 21 orders summoning him as an accused in two IT complaints pertaining to alleged tax evasion cases of over Rs 147 crore.

The court also issued notice to the IT department asking them to file their reply on Maran's plea within eight weeks.

"Till then the order dated July 20 and August 21 shall remain stayed qua the petitioner (Maran) till December 21," the court said.

Meanwhile, another court of Justice P S Teji exempted Maran from personal appearance before the trial court till October 16 in the other tax evasion case and directed that he be "not compelled" for personal appearance.

Maran in his plea has also sought direction to restrain the IT department from taking any action against him.

The trial court had issued summons to budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd, its former Chairman Maran and the airlines' then Managing Director S Natrajhen in the two tax evasion cases, by a common summoning order.

The trial court had directed the three accused to appear before it on September 21.

The IT Department filed the two complaints against the three accused with identical allegations. The complaints had said that the company had allegedly defaulted in depositing TDS amount of Rs 110.6 crore and Rs 36.5 crore for the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 in the government account.