The high court asked Grover’s counsel to withdraw the petition voluntarily, or the court will have to dismiss it. The writ petition challenging the proceedings was “dismissed as withdrawn.”

Grover had sought cancellation of the notice and “stay of the assessment proceedings” under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

The plea was filed against the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Deputy Director of Income Tax.

“The petitioner (Ashneer Grover) is aggrieved by the arbitrary and mechanical way the notice under Section 8 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) Act, 2015 dated 29.05.2023 (hereinafter called “impugned notice”) has been issued by the Respondent No. 3 (Deputy Director of Income Tax ) under the aegis of Respondent No. 2 (Ministry of Finance). The impugned notice suffers from unparalleled perversity and is a complete travesty of justice and the petitioner has prayed for quashing of the impugned notice and in the interim stay on the proceedings under the Black Money Act, 2015,” according to the petition filed.

“Despite adherence to all the notices and due cooperation with the Income Tax Department, the Respondent No. 3, has written a letter dated 13.06.2023 to the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax (Circle 67(1), Delhi) informing the latter that a penalty must be imposed on the Petitioner under Section 43 of the Black Money Act, 2015, for failure of disclosure of foreign assets,” the petition added.

Updated: 01 Aug 2023, 12:56 PM IST