CHENNAI: The Income Tax Department on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court 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 based on available material evidence.
The petitioner, K. Venkatachalapathy, a resident of Tirunelveli, had filed a writ petition before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Income Tax Department to conduct an investigation against Navas Kani, a Member of Parliament from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), part of DMK front, representing the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
The petitioner contended that a comparison of the nomination affidavits submitted by Navas Kani in the 2019 and 2024 elections reveals suppression of income. The increase in assets during the five-year period is extraordinary and steep.
The petitioner further alleged that, despite lodging a complaint regarding concealment of income, the Income Tax Department had failed to initiate any action, and therefore 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, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.R.L. Sundaresan, appearing for the Income Tax Department, submitted that an inquiry has already been initiated based on available material evidence. It was further submitted that summons have been issued to Navas Kani, that he appeared for the inquiry, and that further action would be taken depending on the outcome of the inquiry.
On behalf of Navas Kani, time was sought 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 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a case against Navas Kani 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.