News

15th June, 2006

Amar family too in I-T crosshairs

The income-tax department has slapped a notice on Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singhs wife Pankaja Kumari Singh, and is preparing one to be served on him.

The development may further fan the Congress-SP feud. The notice asking Pankaja to declare all properties and assets acquired over the past six years, was delivered to the SP leaders Greater Kailash residence two days ago.

She has been given a week to personally appear before the joint director of income-tax investigation at his Jhandewalan office in the capital, failing which action will be taken against her and penalties imposed.

The move comes just when Singh and UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav have locked horns with Congress over I-T notices to Amitabh Bachchan and his wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan.

Considering that it followed a petition by a Congressman Vishwanath Chaturvedi in the Supreme Court asking for an I-T investigation into the disproportionate wealth of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his kin, it can provide fuel to SPs campaign against what its leaders have called state-sponsored vendetta.

Chaturvedis petition was accepted by SC giving taxmen the go-ahead to square assets of UP chief minister and his kin with their declared income.

When asked to comment on the I-T notices, the SP general secretary was nonchalant. He said his wife had already replied to the notice by giving her PAN number and telephone number of their lawyer so that they could get in touch with him for any clarification they might need.

I am an income-tax assessee and have been furnishing all information to the department and will continue to do so. I am not an offender and now it is up to them what they want to do to my family, said Singh.