HC issues arrest warrant against absentee firm owners in tax case

HC issues arrest warrant against absentee firm owners in tax case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.09.2021

The Madras high court issued non-bailable warrants against owners of two Chennai-based companies that imported earthmovers from China in 2008 but failed to pay entry tax for the vehicles.

Justice S M Subramaniam passed the interim order on Wednesday on pleas moved by Grandhe Construction Private Limited and Sri Murugan Earth Movers seeking exemption from entry tax for the imported vehicles.

When the cases, filed in 2008, were taken up for final hearing on August 17, counsel for the petitioner sought several adjournments to get instructions from the petitioners. They submitted that they have to secure instructions from the petitioners regarding payment of entry tax, as the issues were settled by the Supreme Court in 2018.

After granting several opportunities, the court finally took the matters for hearing on August 31.

Advocates representing the petitioners then informed the court that they had informed the petitioners about the hearing of the writ petitions before the court, but the petitioners failed to respond. The petitioners went to the extent of stating that they were not in a position to pay the entry tax, counsel informed the court.

Recording the submissions, Justice Subramaniam said: “In view of the stand taken by the petitioners and considering the submissions made by counsel for the petitioners, this court is inclined to issue nonbailable warrant to the petitioners, returnable on September 6.”

The court further directed the registry of the high court to communicate the order to the Chennai commissioner of police for execution through the jurisdictional police.