HC refuses to return money seized from CPI-M's leader

The Kerala High Court has refused to interfere with the Income Tax Department's decision to seize Rs IO million from a leader of the state’s ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).

- Ashraf Padanna

The tax authorities have also frozen the account of the CPI (M)'s Thrissur district committee ahead of the national elections last year after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) linked its top leaders to a cooperative bank scam.

The federal agency investigating financial crimes had raised concerns about discrepancies between the party's annual financial disclosures and the records maintained by the tax authorities.

MM Varghese, the former secretary of the district committee, filed a petition contesting the IT department's actions, arguing that the seizure was unjustified and detrimental to the party’s reputation.