BharatPe Co-founder Ashneer Grover receives IT notice, alleges vendetta
In a post on X, which was subsequently taken down, Ashneer Grover said he received an IT notice about his personal tax filing for the assessment year 2022-23.
BharatPe Co-founder Ashneer Grover has received a notice from the Income Tax Department in connection with his personal tax filing for the assessment year 2022-23
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), which was later taken down, the former Shark Tank India investor said he received the notice at 8:00 am on Tuesday and he has to produce accounts and documents called for by 12:28 pm Wednesday (March 13).
The notice was issued under subsection (1) of Section 142 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. It also called for furnishing information as per Section 144B of the IT Act.
Section 142(1) of the Income Tax Act empowers authorities to issue notices seeking clarification or further details about filed returns or requesting information if a return hasn't been filed.
Amended in 2019, Section 144B eliminates the human interface between the taxpayer and the Income Tax Department. It applies to specific territorial areas, persons or classes of persons, or incomes or classes of income, and involves the use of technology such as video conferencing, and digital signatures for communication and verification purposes.
"Tax terrorism or vendetta ? Take your pick. IT Notice sent at 8:00 am today giving time till tomorrow 12:28 PM to respond," Grover wrote in the post.
"Come on folks - now there is not even an attempt to make things seem genuine. Goli hi maar do seedha!" his post added.
He had also tagged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance ministry, and the Income Tax Department in the post, which was deleted minutes after being posted.
This is not Grover's first run-in with the law. BharatPe had reportedly filed a new case against its former MD, Grover, following his disclosure of the company's Series E fundraising details on social media platform X, leading to Resilient Innovations, the fintech's parent company, seeking an injunction against him in the Delhi High Court for breach of confidentiality.
(The copy was updated based on recent developments.)
Edited by Swetha Kannan