Sivakarthikeyan payment case: I-T files affidavit to drop it from respondents’ list

The tax department prayed to delete its name from the respondents’ list in the petition filed by Sivakarthikeyan against Gnanavelraja alleging that the producer had failed to settle the full payment of Rs 15 crore for having acted in the movie Mr Local in 2018-2019. The I-T Department’s standing counsel made this submission before Justice M Sundar who was hearing the petition moved by the actor. “The I-T has no knowledge about the ongoing dispute between the actor and producer. The department had no role and connection in the financial dispute. Therefore, there is no necessity arises to the petitioner to add us as a respondent in his petition,” the I-T contended. On recording the submission, the court adjourned the matter to Monday for further arguments. It is noted that Sivakarthikeyan alleged that as per the agreement signed between him and Gnanavelraja, the producer agreed to pay Rs 15 crore as remuneration and paid Rs 11 crore. “The petitioner failed to pay the remaining remuneration of Rs 4 crore. As he failed to remit the TDS for the payment of Rs 11 crore, the I-T had debited Rs 94 lakh in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 financial years,” he said.