Police investigate SIM sales following Mumbai attacks

Police in India have arrested two men - Tauseef Rehman and Mukhtar Ahmed - and charged them with fraud and conspiracy for using a false identity card to purchase 22 SIM cards. The cards were used by terrorists in Mumbai to make mobile phone calls during their attacks last month. [Source: NYTimes.com]

Vodafone faces Indian tax bill

Mumbai's High Court has said Vodafone should have put aside £1.35 million in tax following its Hutchison Essar takeover deal last year. The proceedings started in June; Vodafone now says it'll appeal to the Indian Supreme Court. [Source: TimesOnline.co.uk]

Vodafone goes to Indian court

Vodafone is in court this week, trying to convince the Mumbai High Court that it doesn't owe the Indian tax authorities around £1 billion following its takeover last year of Hutchison Essar. The deal, which involved UK-based Vodafone (technically through a Dutch business owned by Vodafone) and Hong Kong-based Hutchison (via a Cayman Islands company) didn't involve any Indian companies - but the Indian government says it's a transaction that involves assets in India and therefore should be subject to India's tax laws. [Source: Independent.co.uk]

Vodafone goes to court in India over $2 billion tax bill

Vodafone is going to be at the Mumbai High Court this week, opposing a case by the Indian tax authorities that says the company is liable for around $2 billion in taxes following its acquisition of the Hutchison Essar network last year. Vodafone says it isn't liable to pay capital gains tax on behalf of Hutchison because the transaction didn't involve any Indian businesses. It says the deal took place between a Dutch-owned Vodafone company and a Cayman Island-based organisation owned by Hutchison. [Source: FT.com]