Vodafone to get Rs 833 crore refund

Cash-strapped Vodafone Idea secured a significant relief on Wednesday when the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by the income tax department and asked it to refund Rs 833 crore to the operator.

The tax department had filed the petition challenging a Bombay high court order asking it to refund the amount.

“We do not see any reason to interfere in the matter. The Special Leave Petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Vineet Saran said in their order on Wednesday.

In June, the high court had ordered the tax department to refund the said amount to the telco for the 2014-15 assessment year. The income tax assessing officer had passed a rectified refund order on May 28 after deducting Rs 176.39 crore as pending dues and settling Rs 833 crore as the net refund to Vodafone Idea.