CHENNAI: The Income-Tax Department informed the Madras High Court on Wednesday that it has already initiated an inquiry against Ramanathapuram MP K Navas Kani over allegations of suppression of income and has issued summons to him.
The petitioner, K Venkatachalapathy of Tirunelveli, had filed a writ petition before the court seeking a direction to the department to conduct an investigation against Navas Kani, the IUML MP representing the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
The petitioner contended that a comparison of the affidavits Navas Kani submitted in the 2019 and 2024 elections revealed an extraordinary rise in his assets during the five-year period, indicating suppression of income.
However, despite lodging a complaint regarding concealment of income, the Income-Tax Department failed to initiate any action, the petitioner alleged, and sought a direction to conduct a proper investigation.
When the matter was taken up for hearing before the bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan, appearing for the department, submitted that an inquiry has already been initiated based on available material evidence.
He added that summons was issued and Navas Kani appeared for the inquiry, and that further action would be taken depending on the outcome of the inquiry.
The counsel representing Navas Kani sought time to file a counter affidavit. Accepting the request, the court adjourned the matter to next week.
Similarly, a connected petition filed by the same petitioner seeking a direction to the CBI to register a case against the Parliamentarian for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, based on the disclosures made in his nomination affidavit, was also adjourned to next week.