HC raps IT officer for issuing notice to court administrator

Mumbai: The Bombay high court lambasted an officer of the income tax department for issuing a notice to the court administrator, who had been appointed to administer the property of a deceased army man. The administrator had been called by the income tax officer regarding the disbursement of the property tax amount that had accrued after the sale of the army man’s property. The court held that the IT officer had no business to call the administrator directly without taking the court’s permission. The officer was let off after he tendered an apology to the court.

A bench of Justice Gautam Patel was hearing the submissions of the court administrator, who was appointed to administer the estate of Captain Rameshwar Lal Rikhiye, who had willed most of his property and assets to various charities in the city through the Rikhiye Family Trust. The administrator had informed the court that though she had deposited property tax and capital gain tax on the sale of properties belonging to the trust with the income tax department, the officer had issued her notices on three occasions and demanded that she be present before him on April 26.

The IT officer Sudheer Gaikwad, who was present in the court through the counsel, informed the court that after the administrator had responded to the first notice, she was not required to respond. However, as the amounts being realised had increased after the last deposit, the administrator had to pay the outstanding dues and hence had been asked to appear before him.