CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon in a case relating to the alleged non-filing of income tax returns by Photon Kathaas Productions Private Limited, of which he was formerly a director.
Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan passed the order on Monday while allowing a petition filed by the filmmaker seeking to quash the case pending before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic Offences), Egmore.
The Income Tax department had arrayed him as the third accused for the company’s failure to file returns for the assessment year 2013–14.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Revathi Manivannan submitted that Menon had resigned as director on May 2, 2011, well before the alleged default.
She further informed the court that the requisite forms had been filed with the Registrar of Companies intimating his cessation, and contended that the department had relied solely on his past designation without establishing his role in the company’s affairs during the relevant period.
Justice Ilanthiraiyan observed that Menon was not a director and had no role in the day-to-day administration of the company at the time of the alleged offence.