Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a tax dispute involving Yo Yo Honey Singh’s concert in the city, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to immediately release the musical instruments and sound equipment seized from Sound.com Pvt Ltd, an associate of TV Today Network Ltd, over alleged entertainment tax evasion.
The court also directed both, the petitioner and Sound.com Pvt Ltd, to pay Rs 5 lakh each to the IMC within three days and fulfill tax liabilities once finalised. The TV Today Network Ltd had filed a petition against the IMC’s demand notice for Rs 50 lakh inentertainment tax. The IMC had issued the notice on March 8, basing its claim on figures from the GST portal.
However, the petitioner contended that their total ticket sales in Indore amounted to Rs 78,47,637 and they had already deposited 10% of that amount as entertainment tax. “The seizure of equipment on March 9 threatened upcoming concerts, including a major event in Pune on March 14 featuring singer YoYo Honey Singh,” the petitioner’s counsel informed the court. The petitioner argued that the impoundment could lead to severe financial losses and potential law-and-order issues across multiple cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, and Bengaluru.
After hearing both the parties, Justice Subodh Abhyankar ordered the IMC to release the seized equipment by the end of the day, based on an undertaking from TV Today Network Ltd that it would fulfill its tax liabilities once finalised. The case will be reviewed again on April 25 alongside another petition filed by Sound.com Pvt Ltd.
