Malpractices by Members of ITAT
GOVERNMENT has informed the Rajya Sabha that the Chief Justice of India had asked the Central Government (vide letter dated 18.2.2011) to take appropriate decision in respect of certain Members of the Tribunal who are alleged to have an unholy nexus with private persons on account of issuance of orders favouring the clients, resulting in possible losses caused to the Government. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice, said that the matter is under consideration. He gave this information in reply to a question whether it is a fact that the Chief Justice of India had asked Government to take appropriate action against at least 20 members of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal who are alleged to have outsourced writing of judgments to private parties and got financial favours in return.
According to the Minister, the Chief Justice wrote to the Government on 18.02.2011 and now, even after more than a year, the matter is still under consideration of the Government!
In Government parlance, "'the matter is under consideration' means we have lost the file. 'The matter is under active consideration' means we are trying to find the file."