Income Tax Appellate Tribunal dismisses Rahul Gandhi's application to make Young India charitable trust

The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal on Friday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea to make Young India a charitable trust, calling it a commercial organisation. With the rejection of the application, the income tax case of Rs 100 crore against him will open again.

Last year, the Gandhis and senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes had challenged the September 10 decision of the Delhi High Court, which rejected their application for reassessment of their income tax for 2011-12 in connection with the National Herald case, in the Supreme Court.

A top court bench had then allowed them to approach the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal for a swift hearing of the pending appeal challenging the retrospective cancellation of registration granted to Young Indian under the Income Tax Act.

On December 4, 2018, the Supreme Court had allowed the IT department to reassess the tax of the top Congress leaders but restrained it from giving effect to its order.

The IT department began an inquiry after a complaint was registered by senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy before a trial court in connection with the National Herald case.

Currently, Gandhi along with Oscar Fernandes are out on bail.

The trial court had granted bail to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in the case on December 19, 2015.