Kochi: Senior lawyer M.K Damodaran appeared for former Finance Minister K.M Mani in the Kerala High Court in connection with a tax evasion case.
Mani , in the plea, sought the court to quash an FIR lodged by the Vigilance accusing him of granting tax concessions to Thomson Group, a poultry import company in Thrissur.
The vigilance wing had filed an FIR in the Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha charging him with giving tax exemptions to poultry farmers and an Ayurvedic medicine manufacturer abusing his position as the then finance minister in the previous UDF government.
The probe agency had said the quick verification 'revealed' Mr Mani had abused his official position as a public servant in allegedly favouring one Thomson group in the matter of demand of penalty for tax evasion.
The VACB FIR also charged Mr Mani with abusing his official position and without any authority ordered a stay on proceedings to recover Rs. 65 crores from poultry dealers favouring them by hatching a criminal conspiracy.
The FIR said the quick verification had revealed that Mr Mani as the finance minister gave retrospective effect to the reduction of tax on ayurvedic cosmetic products from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent.