CHENNAI: The Madras HC has ordered notice on a plea from Health Minister C Vijayabaskar praying for a direction to the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax in Chennai, to permit him to cross-examine the seven witnesses, including mining baron J Sekhar Reddy, in connection with the cases relating to the gutka scam. Justice Anita Sumanthon on Tuesday directed the I-T counsel to obtain instructions by Dec. 19.
The I-T sleuths in 2017 had conducted raids at several places, alleged to be belonging to the minister and seized documents. The minister contended that the documents seized are adversarial for him for the assessment proceedings under Sec 153A of IT Act.