SC to examine if nuns, priests working as teachers entitled for IT exemption
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has agreed to examine an important legal question whether nuns and priests, working as teachers in government-aided Christian missionary schools, are entitled to income tax exemption.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Thursday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Arvind Datar that the plea of several dioceses and congregations from Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the issue needed an urgent hearing.
The bench agreed to consider listing the plea, which raised the issue whether the income of nuns and priests, working as teachers, can be subjected to income tax.
In December, 2014, the Income Tax department asked the educational authorities to effect TDS (tax deducted at source) from persons working as teachers.
The appeals have been filed in the top court after the high courts did not agree to the challenge raised by nearly 100 dioceses and congregations from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The plea said the income of nuns and priests become the income of the congregation which runs the school and that these teachers personally do not acquire the money paid as salaries.
The high courts at Madras and Kerala rejected the pleas for income tax exemption.
The pleas said the IT exemption was being enjoyed by government-aided missionary schools from 1944 till the union government decided to impose tax deduction at source in 2014.
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.
UP: Teen girl found hanging from tree; locals claim rape, murder
Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): The body of a 19-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in a village under the Manikpur police station area here on Sunday morning, police said.
According to the police, the woman had gone to sleep after dinner on Saturday night but was found hanging in an orchard nearly 400 metres away from her home the following morning.
Additional Superintendent of Police (West), Brijnandan Rai, stated that the circumstances suggest foul play.
"The victim's slippers and undergarments were recovered 50 metres away from the spot where the body was found. There are visible injury marks on her body," Rai said.
While locals have alleged that the woman was murdered after being raped, the ASP said that it is "prima facie a case of murder."
"Based on the complaint filed by the victim's brother, a case of murder has been registered against unidentified persons. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination," the officer added.
Police further clarified that if the medical report confirms sexual assault, relevant sections will be added to the FIR.
Forensic experts and police teams have collected evidence from the spot and are investigating the matter from all angles.
