CESTAT Member Sends Notice to ELT Editor
IT is learnt that Member (Judicial) PG Chacko of the Bangalore Bench of the CESTAT has sent a legal notice to Excise Law Times Editor RK Jain.
ELT in its 18th June 2012 Edition had carried a news item adding to a report in the Times of India that in an investigation DRI had found that bribes were paid to politicians, bureaucrats and Tribunal Members. The report states, "In the seized records, two entries are learnt to have been found regarding alleged payment of bribes of Rs. 30 Lakhs and Rs. 11 Lakhs respectively for seeking favourable orders on stay applications from CESTAT, Mumbai. It is learnt that as per DRI report in both the cases the orders were passed by the CESTAT Bench of Shri. PG Chacko and Shri K.K. Aggarwal. As per sources, the DRI has already recorded the statement of certain crucial witnesses under Section 108 of the Customs Act, 1962 detailing the manner of payment of bribe money and the hands involved in it."
Perhaps, it is this part of the report which has offended the CESTAT Member which resulted in notice to the Editor seeking unconditional apology and prominent publication of it in ELT, failing which he proposes to initiate legal action.