HC rejects plea of MGR Medical Varsity VC to quash I-T summons

Chennai: The Madras High Court dismissed a petition by the Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University seeking quashing of the summons issued by the Income Tax department to her over a tax evasion probe.

Noting that the I-T summons have come only after searches conducted on her premises, Justice K Ravichandra Babu told the Vice chancellor Dr Geethalakshmi that "dont try to escape from the clutches of tax inquiry... . You are occupying a responsible position and a public office."

If the taxman had issued summons, it was the responsibility of the recipient to appear and offer explanation to the satisfaction of the officials, he said.

After the judge made it very clear that he would neither stay the summons nor put off the date of her appearance before the I-T department, the writ petition was dismissed as withdrawn.

The I-T Department had on April 9 issued summonses to S Geethalakshmi besides Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar and actor politician Sarath Kumar, asking them to appear before it on April 10 to join the probe.

Income Tax sleuths had conducted searches at her home on April 7 and completed the exercise on April 8. The raid on the premises of the VC was over allegations related to "some transfers".

While the minister and the actor obliged and replied to the queries for several hours, Geethalakshmi moved the High Court saying mandatory provisions of Income Tax Act had not been followed.