Court says no to Pradip Burman's Hong Kong Trip

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) A Delhi court Tuesday refused to allow one of the Dabur India promoters whose name figures in the list given by the government to the Supreme Court on the black money issue, from going abroad for a family function.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma dismissed Pradip Burman's application seeking permission to visit Hong Kong for attending a family function.

Observing that there was no merit in Burman's plea, the court said that there is nothing on record to show that it is so necessary for him to attend the function.

The court added that if such a permission would be granted to the accused people, there would be no end for foreign visits without justifiable ground.

Burman had sought permission to go to Hong Kong for five days from Jan 22 onwards, saying his other family members were also going.

The court had earlier allowed Burman twice to go abroad, including a trip to London to meet his ailing brother.

The court had granted bail but barred Burman from leaving the country without its permission after the income tax department said there was a likelihood that he might leave the country to avoid prosecution in the case.

A case was registered against Burman under the Income Tax Act for offences relating to concealment of income and tax evasion.

According to the department's complaint, Burman was holding foreign bank accounts but he had not disclosed about it in his income tax returns and there were undisclosed deposits in those two accounts.