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What's the story?
I-League club Shillong Lajong has come under the Income Tax Department's scanner for alleged tax evasion charges.
In case you didn't know...
Shillong Lajong is the first club from the North-eastern region of India, that qualified for the I-League back in 2009-10. They were relegated in their first season but were promoted again the next year coming up as the winners of the I-League 2nd Division in 2011.
In last year's I-League season, they finished fifth on the table behind Bengaluru FC, in what was their best finish in the Indian top division.
The heart of the matter
The Indian IT department has filed a criminal cases against Meghalaya club Shillong Lajong and Hotel Pegasus for alleged evasion of tax. According to sources, the criminal cases have been filed under various sections of the IT Act to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Shillong.
The reports also suggest that two separate criminal cases were filed against the Shillong Lajong Football Club under two sections of Income Tax Act of 1961 for failing to pay tax to the Central Government of India and failing to pay tax collected at source. The Hotel Pegasus in Shillong was hit with a single case under the IT Act.
What's next?
Shillong Lajong Football Club has so far not come out with any statements for any clarifications on the IT criminal case filings.
Author's take
Income Tax allegations for a football club like Shillong Lajong, who have a small budget and great following in the North-East can prove to be a dampener in the high spirits of the football-loving region of India. Further developments in the case will lead to more clarity on the situation as Shillong Lajong get ready to step into the I-League season with the cloud of criminal charges on the club.
