I-T finds unexplained cash deposits in accounts of dera, other trusts
: The Income Tax (I-T) department has found unexplained cash deposits in the bank accounts of Dera Sacha Sauda and its other trusts. The I-T has also found that commercial activities were being carried out at the dera headquarters in Sirsa.
An application moved by assistant commissioner of Income Tax (exemptions) Virender Kumar Rathi says the entire exercise is yet to be completed. But in the assessment so far, they have found ‘issues’ with regards to land purchases and luxury vehicles, unexplained credit balance in the bank, cash deposits and commercial activities in dera.
The application was moved before the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), seeking modification of its order whereby the court in August 2017 had ordered that no property of dera be sold or transferred. The I-T department says demand notices have been raised for the leviable income tax and process for attachment of properties have been initiated but to complete the process, they would need modification of HC order against attachment. The application moved, does not mention how much tax evasion they have come across and demand notices of which amount have been slapped on dera and other sister organisations.
The application was filed in a 2017 petition in which the HC is overseeing probe into criminal cases initiated in the aftermath of violence reported following conviction of Dera chief Ram Rahim in two rape cases of 2002, on August 25, 2017. HC has also roped in other agencies such as I-T and Enforcement Directorate to probe allegations of money laundering. The HC could not take up the matter today and hearing has been deferred till December 10.
The I-T department has said that for certain financial years, it has completed assessment of
Dera and some other trusts including Shah Satnam ji Green Welfare Society, Sirsa; Param Pita Shah Satnam Ji Educational and Welfare Society, Sirsa; Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force Wing, Sirsa and Shah Satnam Ji Research and Development Foundation, Sirsa.
The I-T department had appointed an auditor, who has submitted a preliminary report in June 2019. Dera’s assessment has been done for 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2016-17, assessment for the rest of the years is pending.
Certain documents were not produced, accounts were incomplete, the I-T auditor has pointed out further, stating that when the managements were asked to give documents, they claimed, the same were seized by court commissioner in sanitisation process ordered by HC in September 2017. Demand notices have been sent to different trusts and attachment of property process has begun, it would be completed as soon as HC modifies its order on sale and transfer of dera properties, the court has been told.