AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and her confidante Sasikala, both of them have paid a sum of Rs 2 crore for all the four income-tax cases.With the centre’s decision to facilitate the settlement of a set of tax cases against AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and her confidante Sasikala, both of them have paid a sum of Rs 2 crore for all the four income-tax cases on Monday. The government has informed the metropolitan court in Chennai, which was trying the economic offenses, about the payment of fine on Monday. Final order from the department of revenue is awaited before the closure of the case.
Last week, The Indian Express reported the union Law Ministry’s opinion concluding that the “discretionary powers” vested with the concerned Chief Commissioner of the revenue department may be exercised to settle the case.
The cases were registered after Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and their company – Sasi Enterprises — had failed to file their I-T returns from 1993-94 and 1996-97.
The centre had given the opinion and facilitated the settlement by compounding of the cases after the Supreme Court had asked the department to wrap up their probe by 2014-end.
The only legal hurdle to prevent the settlement option was that a set of guidelines that prevent compounding of the cases if they are linked to any anti-national or terrorist activities or being investigated by the CBI or Enforcement Directorate.
However, the Law Ministry, ensuring a legal room for settlement, had clarified that no such clauses were applicable in the case against Jayalalithaa and her associates.
