New Delhi, April 6: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed against the reassessment notice issued by the Income Tax Department to a Delhi-based hospitality firm linked to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court's order which had asked the firm, SkyLight Hospitality LLP, to join proceedings before the assessing officer.

Earlier in February the High Court had rejected the firm's plea challenging the Income Tax notice for re-assessment of its profits from land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan for the years 2010-11.

The firm had later moved the apex court.

The Income Tax Department, in a tax evasion report filed before the High Court, had said it had reason to believe that over Rs 35 crore, earned by the firm in 2010-11, had escaped from assessment.

The High Court in its February 17 order while asking the firm to join proceedings took note of the tax evasion report and said: "After going through the reasons, we are satisfied that the 'reasons to believe' show and establish a live link and connect with the inference drawn that income had escaped assessment, which is required for issuance of notice."

The firm had argued that the 'reasons to believe' were mere reasons to suspect and do not establish that income had escaped assessment.

 

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Beijing, Dec 29: China on Sunday unveiled an updated model of its high-speed bullet train which its manufacturer claims reached speeds of 450 kmph during the test runs, making it the world’s fastest high-speed train.

According to the China State Railway Group Co (China Railway), the new model, known as the CR450 prototype, will further shorten travel time and improve connectivity, making travel more convenient and efficient for the country's vast passengers.

The CR450 prototype reached a test speed of 450 kmph, with key performance indicators — operational speed, energy consumption, interior noise, and braking distance — setting a new international benchmark, official media here reported.

It is significantly faster than the CR400 Fuxing high-speed rail (HSR) currently in service, which operates at speeds of 350 kmph, a report by state-run Xinhua said.

China Railway will arrange a series of line tests for the prototypes and optimise technical indicators to ensure the CR450 enters commercial service as soon as possible, it said.

According to the latest official figures, China's operational HSR tracks have reached about 47,000 kms, connecting major cities in the country.

Though not profitable, China says the HSR network expansion has played a crucial role in the nation's economic and social development, reducing travel times and boosting industrial development along railway routes.

According to internal surveys, the Beijing-Shanghai train service was the most profitable, while the networks in other cities have yet to turn lucrative.

In recent years, China’s HSR exported its network in Thailand and Indonesia, and built the Belgrade-Novi Sad HSR in Serbia.