Chennai, Feb 6 – In a significant legal setback for TVK chief and popular actor Vijay, the Madras High Court today dismissed his writ petition challenging a substantial Rs 1.50 crore penalty imposed by the Income Tax department. The fine is linked to allegations of non-disclosure of his complete income during the 2015-16 financial year.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, presiding over the case, rejected the petition filed by Vijay. The court concluded that the order imposing the penalty was issued within the prescribed time limits, finding no “infirmity warranting interference” with the department’s decision.
The origin of the dispute traces back to an Income Tax raid conducted at Vijay’s residence in 2015. During this operation, documents were reportedly seized, which the department claims indicated undeclared earnings. Specifically, the Income Tax department alleged that Vijay had not disclosed an income of Rs 15 crore, which it asserts was earned from his 2015 Tamil film “Puli.”
While Vijay had declared an income of Rs 35.42 crore for the subsequent financial year (2016-2017), the department proceeded to impose the Rs 1.50 crore penalty through an order dated June 30, 2022, based on their findings.
Vijay had moved the High Court to challenge this penalty. Previously, a single judge had granted a stay on the operation of the penalty order on August 16, 2022. Justice Ramamoorthy had reserved his judgment on January 23 after hearing extensive arguments from both the actor’s counsel and the Income Tax department. Following today’s dismissal, the court clarified that Vijay retains the right to appeal the order before the appropriate appellate authority.
