
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev seems to be in trouble again. The crusader against black money, who was under the scanner of investigative agencies for some time, has been slapped with a tax demand notice by the Income Tax (I-T) department.
The department has sent a notice to Ramdev for recovery of tax for 2009-10 on his income of Rs. 120 crore. The department has computed a tax liability of Rs. 58 crore on Ramdev. “The department has sent a demand notice for recovery of Rs. 58 crore as tax on his income of Rs. 120 crore from commercial activities,” an I-T source said.
According to the sources, Ramdev sought tax exemption by mentioning his activities as a part of his trusts, but in several cases it turned out to be commercial ventures. “His units earned profits through commercial transactions like selling of herbal medicines and cosmetics through his retail outlets,” the source said.
The I-T authorities had probed yoga guru Ramdev’s Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, Divya Yoga Mandir (Trust), Bharat Swabhiman Trust, Acharyakul Siksha Sansthan and other charitable organisations.