HARI OM PRAKASH GUPTA HUF,NEW DELHI vs. DCIT, CENTRAL CIRCLE, 28, NEW DELHI, NEW DELHI
In favour of the assessee: the assessee's appeal was allowed. From the AI summary of this appeal.
What did the Tribunal hold?
The Tribunal held that the assessment under section 153C was illegal because the Assessing Officer did not record a clear satisfaction that the seized materials had a "bearing" on the determination of the assessee's total income. This issue was settled by the Delhi High Court in Saksham Commodities Ltd. Vs. ITO.
What were the facts?
The Assessing Officer initiated proceedings under section 153C based on a search conducted in the Alankit group of cases. The AO recorded satisfaction that seized materials belonged to the assessee, but failed to explicitly state that these materials had a "bearing" on the assessee's income.
What were the issues?
The primary issue was the legality of the assessment framed under section 153C due to the AO's failure to record a proper satisfaction regarding the "bearing" of seized materials on the assessee's income.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI BENCH: ‘E’ NEW DELHI
Before: SHRI SATBEER SINGH GODARA & SHRI NAVEEN CHANDRA
IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, DELHI BENCH: ‘E’ NEW DELHI BEFORE SHRI SATBEER SINGH GODARA, JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI NAVEEN CHANDRA, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ITA No.7786/Del/2025 Assessment Year: 2019-20 Hari Om Prakash Gupta, Vs. DCIT, HUF, Central Circle-28, BT-36, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi New Delhi PAN: AAAHH1091N (Appellant) (Respondent) Assessee by Sh. Salil Kapoor, Adv. Sh. Sumit Lalchandani, Adv. Sh. Shivam Yadav, Adv. Ms. Sakshi Rustagi, Adv. Department by Ms. Amisha S Gupt, CIT(DR) Date of hearing 28.04.2026 Date of pronouncement 28.04.2026 ORDER PER SATBEER SINGH GODARA, JM This assessee’s appeal for assessment year 2019-20, arises against the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals)-25 [in short, the “CIT(A)”], New Delhi’s DIN and order no. ITBA/APL/M/250/2025- 26/1080630320(1), dated 11.09.2025 involving proceedings under section 153C of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’).
ITA No.7786/Del/2025
Heard both the parties. Case file perused. 2. We notice at the outset that there arises the first and foremost issue on legality of the impugned section 153C assessment framed by the learned Assessing Officer on 11.02.2024 in the assessee’s case. A few relevant facts may be noticed. 3. There is no dispute between the parties that the learned departmental authorities had carried out the search in question on 18.10.2019 in M/s. Alankit group of cases. The learned Assessing Officer of the said searched party thereafter recorded his section 153C satisfaction that the corresponding materials/documents found/seized during the course of search in fact belonged to the assessee i.e. a third person. He forwarded the relevant case records to the jurisdictional Assessing Officer who recorded his latter satisfaction under section 153C without even making explicitly clear that the aforesaid seized materials or valuables or assets had a “bearing” in the assessee’s case. 4. Faced with this situation, learned CIT(DR) vehemently argues that we need not adopt such a hyper technical approach once the
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ITA No.7786/Del/2025
Assessing Officer’s aforesaid satisfaction had been duly recorded in tune with the procedure prescribed in the statute itself. 5. All these Revenue’s arguments fail to impress upon us. We make it clear at the cost of repetition that the assessee’s Assessing Officer had nowhere recorded a satisfaction that the materials/documents in question found/seized during the course of search had any “bearing” on determination of the assessee’s total income. Case law Saksham Commodities Ltd. Vs. ITO (2024) 464 ITR 1 (Delhi)(HC) has already settled the very issue in the asseessee’s favour and against the department to the very effect. We thus quash the impugned assessment framed in assessee’s case in very terms. All other pleadings/arguments between the parties stand rendered academic. 6. This assessee’s appeal is allowed in above terms. Order pronounced in the open court on 28th April, 2026 Sd/- Sd/- (NAVEEN CHANDRA) (SATBEER SINGH GODARA) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER JUDICIAL MEMBER Dated: 15th May, 2026. RK/- Copy forwarded to: 1. Appellant 2. Respondent 3. CIT 4. CIT(A) 3 | P a g e
ITA No.7786/Del/2025
DR Asst. Registrar, ITAT, New Delhi
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More judgments on Section 153C
- Neepaben Sunnybhai Motwani, Rajkot vs Income Tax Officer, RajkotITA 875/RJT/2026[2021-22]Status: Disposed19 Oct 2026AY 2021-22
- Neepaben Sunnybhai Motwani, Rajkot vs The Income Tax Officer, RajkotITA 874/RJT/2026[2020-21]Status: Disposed19 Oct 2026AY 2020-21
- Venish Vinodray Lalani, Rajkot vs Income Tax Officer, MorbiITA 197/RJT/2026[2019-20]Status: Disposed19 Oct 2026AY 2019-20
- Ajay Singh, Kota vs DCIT, Central Circle, KotaITA 495/JPR/2026[2016-17]Status: Disposed13 Oct 2026AY 2016-17
- Dineshkumar Chhaganlal Manavadaria, Junagadh vs ITO Ward 1, JunagadhITA 837/RJT/2025[2020-21]Status: Disposed9 Oct 2026AY 2020-21
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