Big jolt to PFI as IT Dept cancels its 80G registration

The Income Tax Department has cancelled 80 G benefit enjoyed by Popular Front of India (PFI) citing violation of Income Tax rules benefiting to a particular society. The department said that the PFI was engaged in destroying goodwill and brotherhood among different communities.

According to an official order, the PFI has applied the benefits to one particular religious community violating section 13(1)(b) of the IT Act, 1961.

The IT department in its order dated March 22, 2021 pointed that the activities of the PFI are not genuine in the context of section 12AA(3) of 1T Act 1961, It said the PFI, which is registered entity U/s 12A r.w.s. 12AA of the Income Tax Act 1961 vide registration No. P-1589648 dated 28.08.2012, enjoying benefit U/s 80G, has filed Return of Income regularly since A.Y. 2013-14 till A.Y. 2020-21.

It may be noted that a large haul of explosives, including two gelatin sticks four detonators, battery, wires, gums, were seized from a forest area at Padam in Pathanapuram in Kollam district of Kerala on June 14.

The explosives were seized from a cashew plantation coming under Kerala Forest Development Corporation. The forest department officials initiated a search operation in the area following an intelligence inputs after the arrest of a few terrorists in Uttar Pradesh, sources said.

There were intelligence reports that the PFI was engaged in providing physical training to its cadres in the forest area to carry out terrorist attacks at various places in the country.