Demand Order Invalid if Legal Heirs Don’t Operate Deceased’s Business: Madras HC

Unnikrishnan R. Vs Union of India (Madras High Court) Summary: In Unnikrishnan R. v. Union of India, the Madras High Court ruled that a demand order issued against a deceased person is invalid if the legal heirs are not continuing the deceased’s business. The case involved a writ petition filed by Mr. Unnikrishnan, the son of Mr. Radhakrishnan Pillai, who owned M/s. Chothi Enterprises and passed away in 2017. The Revenue Department had issued a demand order in 2023 for tax liabilities related to 2017-2018, despite the business not being continued by the heirs. The court observed that is...