Escaping militant killed in blast, infiltration bid foiled in J&K
Srinagar/Jammu: A militant was killed and a policeman injured in a grenade attack at a police station, one civilian was injured in a clash with security forces, while an infiltration bid was foiled in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
A Hizbul Mujahideen militant, in police custody, was killed when his fellow militants hurled a grenade at a police station in Pulwama district to help him escape."Terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan died in the grenade explosion while trying to escape from Tral police station," said Director General of Police S.P. Vaid.
A police constable sustained minor injuries in the blast.
Riyaz Ahmad was injured in the clash in Hajan area where militants and security forces had exchanged fire earlier in the day, a police officer said. Taking advantage of the clashes, the militants hiding in the area managed to escape, reports said.
In another incident, Border Security Force troopers foiled an infiltration bid across the International Border in Samba district.
Alert troopers noticed suspicious movement near one of the border outposts in Samba around 5 a.m. and opened fire and used illumination flares, leading to group of militants trying to infiltrate into Indian territory being forced to withdraw, an official said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PIL in SC seeks abolition of TDS system, cites constitutional violations
New Delhi (PTI): A PIL filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday sought to scrap the TDS system calling it "arbitrary and irrational" and violative of various fundamental rights, including equality.
The PIL challenged the tax deducted at source or TDS framework under the Income Tax Act, which mandates the deduction of tax at the time of payment by the payer and its deposit with the income tax department. The deducted amount is adjusted against the payee's tax liability.
The plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay through advocate Ashwani Dubey, made the Centre, ministry of law and justice, law commission, and NITI Aayog as parties.
It sought a direction to "declare the TDS system manifestly arbitrary, irrational and against Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (right to practice profession) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution, hence void and inoperative".
The plea further sought directions to the NITI Ayog to consider contentions raised in the plea and suggest necessary changes in TDS system.
It said the law commission should examine the legality of the TDS system and prepare a report within three months.
The TDS system imposes significant administrative and financial burdens on taxpayers tasked with compliance which include managing complex rules, issuing TDS certificates, filing returns, and defending against penalties for inadvertent errors, argued the plea.
Assessees often incur substantial expenses, ranging from salaries of compliance staff to professional fees for tax consultants, without receiving compensation, it said.
The plea said the system violated Article 14 (equality before the law) by disproportionately burdening economically weaker sections and small earners who lack the capacity to navigate its technical requirements.
Referring to Article 23, it said the imposition of tax collection duties on private citizens amounted to forced labour.
The TDS system was stated to adversely affect individuals below the taxable income threshold, as tax was deducted at source irrespective of their liability.
"The regulatory and procedural framework surrounding TDS is excessively technical, often requiring specialised legal and financial expertise, which most assessees lack. The result is an unjust shifting of sovereign responsibilities from the government to private citizens without adequate compensation, resources, or legal safeguards," it said.
