HC notice to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, his son in I-T case

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday issued notices to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his son Raninder Singh in an income tax (I-T) case.

The high court bench of justice Rajbir Sehrawat has sought response from both by April 25.

The plea has been moved by the income tax department, Ludhiana, against the November 2018 order of the court of additional sessions judge, Ludhiana, quashing the summoning order passed against Amarinder and Raninder in this case. The trial court had earlier issued summons to both to appear personally for the hearing. Both are facing allegations of making false statements, and wilful omission in providing required information to the I-T department, which had filed a criminal complaint against them before a Ludhiana court in 2016.

As per the department, both were beneficiaries of foreign assets maintained through various business entities and also of foreign bank accounts maintained with a bank in Geneva.

The department claimed that the CM’s son is a direct beneficiary of these assets. These include accounts with HSBC Private Bank, Geneva. Raninder is also a trustee of the UK-based Jacaranda Trust. However, Raninder had denied any association with these entities, as per the petition.

The IT department claimed that Raninder was the settler (donor) of the Jacaranda Trust, UK, and owner of business entities Mulwala Holdings Limited, Limerlock International Limited, Chillingham Holdings Limited and Allworth Venture Holdings Limited.

The authorities in British Virgin Islands (BVI) informed the department that the business entities were holding substantial financial assets, including bank accounts in HSBC, Geneva, and properties in the UK and Dubai, the court has been told.

As per the department, the BVI authorities provided a copy of the trust deed to it which showed that the settlement was made on July 22, 2005, in British Virgin Islands between Raninder and HSBC Trust Company Limited. Raninder acted as a trustee of the trust.

With inputs from PTI