The UPA government has decided not to file an appeal in Supreme Court against the Delhi High Courts decision to uphold an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) favouring UP Chief Minister Mayawati. The ITAT had held that gifts received by Mayawati from party workers and donors were not taxable under the Income Tax Act. The decision not to file an SLP in the Supreme Court was apparently taken without consulting the Union Law Ministry,as is the norm. Instead,the Union Ministry of Finance decided not to approach the apex court against the HC order. In three other ITAT cases against Mayawati,the Centre didnt even appeal in the HC. In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday,the CBI had said it has evidence of a nexus between Mayawati and her relatives in connection with her alleged disproportionate assets. Earlier,Mayawati had said that the CBI should close the corruption case against her in light of the ITAT judgment. But the CBI rejected her contention that the Taj Heritage Corridor case was politically motivated,asserting that the ITAT ruling would have no bearing on the assets case.
