The Delhi High Court has dismissed petitions filed by the Congress party challenging tax reassessment proceedings.

The Delhi High Court dismissed four new petitions filed by the Indian National Congress (INC) challenging the initiation of Income Tax (IT) reassessment proceedings by the IT Department. Justices Yashwant Varma and Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, presiding over the division bench, rejected the petitions after both the Congress and the IT Department agreed that the latest petitions were covered by a recent judgment pronounced by the Court regarding reassessment for certain other assessment years.

On March 22, the Court had already dismissed Congress’s petitions challenging the reassessment proceedings for the assessment years 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17. The latest four petitions, which concerned other assessment years for which the IT Department had initiated fresh scrutiny, were similarly dismissed by the Court today. These assessment years were 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21.

In recent weeks, the Indian National Congress has faced a series of tax-related challenges and legal setbacks, prompting accusations from the party that the Union government is aiming to financially “cripple” it ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress party’s attempts to challenge proceedings initiated by the Income Tax (IT) Department have been met with consecutive dismissals by the courts.

On March 22, the Court dismissed Congress’s petitions relating to the years 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17, noting that the IT Department had “substantial and concrete evidence” to justify further scrutiny of the party’s income under the IT Act.

Similarly, on March 13, the Court rejected a plea by Congress against an order from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) denying its request for a stay on a demand notice for the recovery of nearly ₹105 crore in outstanding taxes.

The Bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav declined to interfere with the ITAT order, although Congress was permitted to file a fresh application for a stay before the ITAT. This decision was made considering recent developments, including the recovery of ₹65.94 crore from the party.

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