The Supreme Court today pulled up the Income Tax department for not taking timely action against the companies involved in the 2G spectrum scam and said had it not intervened, the officials would have “slept over it” and the oversees probe would not have proceeded.
The court said despite the department coming to know about tax evasion cases in 2008, it started taking action only after March this year after it was directed to file action taken report.
“We are sure they (IT Dept) would have slept over it otherwise (if it had not intervened). There is no doubt about it,” a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said.
Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha, appearing for the department, tried to justify the delay saying that big companies are involved in the case and they are creating obstacles.
But was it not expected, considering the track record of the IRS and of the IT deptt which is under an IAS Revenue Secretary, dancing to his tunes and carrying out his orders without any shame and dignity and even respect for the Parliament-given “qusi judicial” status given to them. In addition, the MoS for Finance and a senior Union Cabinet Minister’s rising son dictates every move by and of the department not only in Tamilnadu but alsoo all over India, so much so that a person junior to another is the Administrative CCIT and the senior most CCIT is simply sitting in a most ineffective and innocuous “punishment psting” for his record of being non-conformist vis-a-vis superiors’ illegal orders. In a department where postings are made openly through auction with big money at stake (c.f. the ex-MOS and a CA-back to practice-found involved in transfer for money scam a few years ago), rules of appointments to CBDT are changed to suit particular favourites of the top and extensions are given against all norms to select few, it is unreasonable to expect the officers not to make while the sun shines in handling “wet cases” likev 2G, CWG, Fodder Scam, etc. The system has gone rotten with the appex court has to punish an advocate for forgery!