NEW DELHI: : The Delhi high court quashed on Monday the 2016 income-tax notices to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy and asked the department to pay Rs 1 lakh to each of them as costs for harassment.A bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar observed that authorities subjecting Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy to reassessment proceedings for the second time, “practically for the same issue”, was arbitrary and without jurisdiction. “Initiation of reassessment proceedings in such circumstances leads to unnecessary harassment of an assessee on the one hand and gives rise to unpredictability/uncertainty, if not anarchy, on the other… The facts of the present case speak volumes as to how the proceedings are arbitrary and contrary to statutory provisions, besides being against the fundamental principles of adjudicatory process,” the HC observed, allowing the petitions by the couple.It said while no amount of cost can be treated as enough for these cases, “we cannot leave these cases without imposing any. Hence, we impose a token cost of Rs 1 lakh per case upon the respondents to be paid to each of the petitioners”. The HC also flagged how a change of an officer resulted in a change of proceedings, stressing that “merely because the new incumbents in the chair feel themselves to be wiser and they hold another opinion, which their predecessor did not or could not take, an already settled assessment cannot be unsettled and the petitioner cannot be made to face the rigmarole or harassment of assessment proceedings again and again”.The income-tax notice concerned the reassessment of the petitioners’ income for the year 2009-10 on account of certain “interest-free” loans received by them from RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd, the promoter entity of NDTV. The Roys were then shareholders and directors of RRPR. About the AuthorAbhinav GargAs legal editor for Delhi, Abhinav Garg handles coverage of courts and connected legal challenges shaping the capital. From breaking down complex law related jargon to simplifying how a particular verdict or development in courts may impact the readers, Abhinav brings with him over two decades of experience in the field.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”Visit Marks Milestone In Strengthening India-UAE Partnership…” MEA On The Visit Of UAE PresidentIndia-US Trade Talks Ongoing In Complex Environment, Says Mukesh AghiBangladesh Admits 645 Minority Incidents In 2025 But Downplays Communal Angle Amid Hindu KillingsBJP Picks Nitin Nabin As National President,To Take Charge January 20“…We Find Threatening”: Poland Raises Alarm Over India’s Role In Russia Zapad ExercisesMore Than Optics: Why PM Modi’s Rare Airport Gesture For UAE President Matters For India’s StrategyWhat Does Pak Field Marshal Asim Munir Mean By Pakistan’s ‘Purpose’ And What It Means For IndiaUnnao Rape Case: Delhi HC Rejects Kuldeep Sengar’s Plea To Suspend SentenceThree Houses, Cars And Loans: How Indore Beggar Mangilal Built Wealth While Begging On StreetsReza Pahlavi Promises Friendship With India, But His Return Could Reopen Iran’s Old Fault Lines123PhotostoriesFake Sweet Potato in the market? How to check the purity of sweet potato at home and 6 easy dishesHow to make classic Bread Halwa at home8 baby girl names inspired by rare flowers from around the worldHow to make Chicken Kadi Patta for dinnerTop 10 countries in Asia with the highest quality of life20 Maggi combinations to enjoy this winter season15 best rated dishes made with Paneer from across India by top global culinary agency5 principal beliefs of Hinduism explained simplyFrom Namita Thapar’s Rs 50 crore house to Aman Gupta’s lavish lifestyle- Luxurious things Shark Tank India judges ownTravel influencer Shenaz Treasury recommends these 6 places women must travel to in 2026; safe, stunning and solo-friendly123Hot PicksSilver price todayBudget 2026Gold rate todayGold price predictionVande Bharat sleeperPublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingMatthew StaffordBroncos vs Patriots InjuryDJ MooreBill BelichickRoger FedererJalen BrunsonKhabib Nurmagomedov Net WorthNHL Trade RumorsSan Antonio Spurs vs Utah JazzWashington Wizards vs Los Angeles Clippers
NEW DELHI: : The Delhi high court quashed on Monday the 2016 income-tax notices to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy and asked the department to pay Rs 1 lakh to each of them as costs for harassment.A bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar observed that authorities subjecting Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy to reassessment proceedings for the second time, “practically for the same issue”, was arbitrary and without jurisdiction. “Initiation of reassessment proceedings in such circumstances leads to unnecessary harassment of an assessee on the one hand and gives rise to unpredictability/uncertainty, if not anarchy, on the other... The facts of the present case speak volumes as to how the proceedings are arbitrary and contrary to statutory provisions, besides being against the fundamental principles of adjudicatory process,” the HC observed, allowing the petitions by the couple.It said while no amount of cost can be treated as enough for these cases, “we cannot leave these cases without imposing any. Hence, we impose a token cost of Rs 1 lakh per case upon the respondents to be paid to each of the petitioners”. The HC also flagged how a change of an officer resulted in a change of proceedings, stressing that “merely because the new incumbents in the chair feel themselves to be wiser and they hold another opinion, which their predecessor did not or could not take, an already settled assessment cannot be unsettled and the petitioner cannot be made to face the rigmarole or harassment of assessment proceedings again and again”.The income-tax notice concerned the reassessment of the petitioners’ income for the year 2009-10 on account of certain “interest-free” loans received by them from RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd, the promoter entity of NDTV. The Roys were then shareholders and directors of RRPR.
