The Chandigarh Excise and Taxation Department fined JW Marriott with Rs 25,000 for illegally collecting tax on the exempted item after actor Rahul Bose released a video revealing he paid Rs 442 for two bananas he ordered at the hotel. The actor showed the bill he received with the bananas and it included 9 per cent CGST and another 9 per cent UTGST. Also Read - RIP Soumitra Chatterjee: Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha And Others Tweet to Say 'End of an Era'
After Rahul’s video went viral on social media the other day, the department sent a show-cause notice to the hotel in Chandigarh and asked them to come out with a statement by Saturday. However, in the absence of any response, the department now slapped the hotel with a fine, reported news agency ANI. Also Read - Bulbbul Twitter Review: Anushka Sharma's Netflix Production Gets Many Positive Nods For Exceptional Performance
In a report published by The Indian Express, the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Rajeev Chaudhary, mentioned that bananas come under the category of ‘tax-free’ fresh fruits, therefore, levying GST by the hotel was totally wrong.
As soon as Rahul’s video went viral, a three-member team was set-up by the department to investigate the matter and the show-cause notice was sent. Further, the team is also investigating if the hotel is paying due taxes to the government.