CBEC Member - Vineet Ohri - a la - Laxman Das
CHIEF Commissioner of Income Tax and a 1974 officer of the IRS, Laxman Das had challenged the 2010-11 panel of CBDT Members and got a favourable order from the CAT in September 2011, in which the CAT quashed the appointment of AK Basu as Member, CBDT and directed the Government to constitute a review Selection Committee to consider the application of Laxman Das for the post. Government was supposed to complete this exercise before 2 nd December 2011. We do not know what happened, but now an IRS officer of the Customs and Central Excise, Vineeth Ohri has a similar order from the CAT.
Vineet Ohri, Chief Commissioner of Customs (Prev), New Delhi is a 1975 officer of the IRS and he has challenged the selection of Members for the Panel Year 2010-11. The CAT found that this was a similar case to that of Laxman Das and directed the Government to constitute a Review Selection Panel to consider Vineet Ohri's application within six weeks from November 30th that is by about 15th January 2012.
If things go well for Vineet Ohri, he may even become Chairman of CBEC, but then it seems the Government has found enough holes in the Laxman Das case and may take the legal battle further. Certainly uncertain days ahead for both the Boards! We carried the Vineet Ohri case yesterday.