BUDANUR NAGARAJU VINAYKUMAR,MANDYA vs. INCOME TAX OFFICER, WARD 1 & TPS, MANDYA

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ITA 1806/BANG/2025Status: DisposedITAT Bangalore07 October 2026AY 2018-196 pages
AI SummaryAllowed

What did the Tribunal hold?

The Tribunal held that the notice issued under section 148A(d) and the consequential notice issued under section 148 of the Act, both dated 28.04.2022, were bad in law for being violative of the provisions of section 151(ii) of the Act. The Tribunal noted that more than three years had elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year (2018-19), and therefore, the approval for reopening should have been obtained from the Principal Chief Commissioner or Principal Director General, or in their absence, the Chief Commissioner or Director General. The approval obtained from the PCIT, Bangalore-2 on 28.04.2022 was invalid. Consequently, the reassessment order dated 10.01.2024 passed under section 147 read with sections 144 and 144B of the Act was also set aside and quashed. Since a legal ground was decided in favour of the assessee, other grounds raised by the assessee were rendered academic. The appeal filed by the assessee was allowed.

What were the facts?

The assessee, Budanur Nagaraju Vinaykumar, is in appeal against the order of the NFAC (CIT(A)) for Assessment Year 2018-19. The Assessing Officer (AO) initiated reassessment proceedings under section 147 read with section 144 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and passed an assessment order dated 10.01.2024. The AO noted that the assessee had not filed a return of income despite depositing Rs. 3,42,65,900 and withdrawing Rs. 3,76,70,958. A notice under section 148 was issued on 29.04.2023. The assessee failed to respond to notices, and the AO made an addition of Rs. 3,76,70,958 as unexplained money under section 69A. The assessee appealed to the CIT(A) with a delay of 288 days, which the CIT(A) refused to condone, dismissing the appeal in limine.

What were the issues?

The Tribunal had to decide the following issues: 1. Whether the notice issued under section 148A(b) and section 148 of the Act are bad in law and non est, thereby rendering the reassessment proceedings void ab initio, in light of the approval for reopening being obtained from the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (PCIT) instead of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (PCCIT) when more than three years had elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year. Assessee's Contention: The assessee argued that the notice under section 148 was issued beyond three years from the end of the assessment year, requiring approval from the PCCIT as per section 151(ii) of the Act. The approval was obtained from the PCIT, Bangalore, which is invalid, making the notice and subsequent reassessment proceedings null and void. Revenue's Contention: The Revenue relied on the orders of the lower authorities.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 147,Section 144,Section 148,Section 148A,Section 69A,Section 151,Section 151(ii),Section 144B,Section 234A,Section 234B,Section 234F

AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, BANGALORE BENCHES, BANGALORE

Before: SHRI BALAKRISHNAN S & SHRI SANDEEP SINGH KARHAIL

For Respondent: Shri. Shashidhara S Shet JCIT
Pronounced: 07.10.2026

PER SHRI BALAKRISHNAN S, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER: This appeal is filed by the assessee against the order of Ld. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), NFAC vide DIN: ITBA/NFAC/S/250/2025- 26/1078648650(1) dated 18-Jul-2025 for the Assessment Year 2018-19, arising out of the Order passed under section 147 r.w.s. 144 of the Act, dated 10.01.2024.

2.

Briefly stated facts of the case are the assessee has not filed return of income for the Assessment Year 2018-19 despite having deposited cash amounting to Rs.3,42,65,900/- and also withdrawn a sum of Rs.3,76,70,958/-. Subsequently, the case was reopened and notice under section 148 of the Act was issued on 29.04.2023. Assessee failed to respond to any of the notices under section 148 of the Act. The learned AO therefore proceeded to frame the assessment by making an addition of Rs.3,76,70,958/- as unexplained money under section 69A of the Act vide Order under section 147 r.w.s. 144 r.w.s. 144B dated 10.01.2024.

3.

On being aggrieved by the Order of the learned AO, assessee filed an appeal with a delay of 288 days before learned CIT(A). The learned CIT(A) did not condone the delay and dismissed the appeal of the assessee in limine.

4.

On being aggrieved by the Order of the learned CIT(A), assessee is in appeal before us by raising the following grounds:

1.

The order of the Learned Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) ("CIT(A)"), insofar as it is against the Appellant, is opposed to law, equity, weight of evidence, preponderance of probabilities on facts and circumstances of the case. 2. The impugned reassessment proceedings are bad in law, non est and passed in violation of principles of natural justice on the facts and circumstances of the case. 3. The impugned reassessment, proceedings are without jurisdiction and consequently, the assessment order is bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 4. The mandatory procedures applicable for reassessment proceedings are not followed and consequently, the impugned proceedings are void ab initio on the facts and circumstances of the case. 5. The notice issued under section 148A(b) of the Act is non est and bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case.

6.

The notice issued under section 148A(b) of the Act is issued without granting the mandatory period of 7 days to file a response and consequently, the said notice and the entire re-assessment proceedings are bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 7. The appropriate sanction necessary for reopening the assessment was not accorded and consequently, the impugned proceedings are vitiated on the facts and circumstances of the case. 8. The appropriate sanction necessary for reopening the assessment is not accorded by proper authority and the proceedings conducted on such sanction are bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 9. The order passed under section 148(d) of the Act is non est and bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 10. The notice issued under section 148 of the Act is non est and bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 11. The reassessment order passed under section 147 r.w.s. 144 of the Act is non est, bad in law on the facts and circumstances of the case. 12. The learned CIT(A) erred in law in not condoning the delay in filing the appeal on the facts and circumstances of the case. 13. The Appellant denies himself liable to be assessed at a total income of Rs. 3,76,70,958/- on the facts and circumstances of the case. 14. The learned CIT(A) erred in law and on facts in upholding the addition made by the learned Assessing Officer amounting to Rs. 3.76,70,958/- being cash withdrawals made from the bank account as unexplained money under section 69A of the Act on the facts and circumstances of the case. 15. The authorities below failed to appreciate that the rigours of section 69A of the Act are not applicable to the facts of the case. 16. The Appellant denies liability to pay interest under section 234A, 234B and 234F of the Act, in view of the fact that there is no liability to additional tax as determined by the learned Assessing officer on the facts and circumstances of the case.

17.

The Appellant craves to add, alter, modify, substitute, change and delete any or all of the grounds and to file a paper book at the time of hearing the appeal. 18. In the view of the above and other grounds that may be urged at the time of the hearing of appeal, the Appellant prays that the appeal may be allowed in the interest of justice and equity.

5.

The learned AR submitted that ground Nos.9 and 10 be adjudicated at first since it challenges the validity of the Order under section 148A(d) of the Act and section 148 of the Act. He submitted that notice under section 148 of the Act was issued on 29.04.2023 for the Assessment Year 2018-19. The notice issued by the learned AO is beyond a period of 3 years from the end of the Assessment year and therefore it should be approved by the authorities prescribed under section 151(ii) of the Act. He submitted that notice has been issued with the approval of the PCIT, Bangalore, instead of PCCIT. He therefore submitted that the notice is invalid and subsequent assessment proceedings is null and void.

6.

Per contra, the learned DR relied on the Order of the lower authorities.

7.

We have heard the rival contentions and perused the material available on record. The Taxation and other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Act, 2020 in all cases where the last date for issuance of Notice u/s 148 of the Act, stood extended to 30/04/2021 as a result of the Notification dated 31/03/2021, the last date for issuance of such Notice now stood extended to 30/06/2021. Before proceeding further, the provisions of section 151 of the Act as existed on the date of issuance of order under section 148A(d) of the Act and as on the date of notice issued under section 148 of the Act, are reproduced hereunder for ease of reference & convenience: -

“151. Specified authority for the purposes of section 148 and section 148A shall be,- (i) Principal Commissioner or Principal Director or Commissioner or Director, if three years or less than three years have elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year; (ii) Principal Chief Commissioner or Principal Director General or where there is no Principal Chief Commissioner or Principal Director General, Chief Commissioner or Director General , if more than three years have elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year.]” 8. On plain reading of the above, it is very much clear that the specified Authority for the purposes of sanction u/s 148 and section 148A of the Act, if more than three years have elapsed from the end of the relevant assessment year shall be the Principal Chief Commissioner /Principal Director General or where there is no Principal Chief Commissioner or Principal Director General, Chief Commissioner or Director General. In the case on hand the approval from PCIT Bangalore-2 was obtained on 28.04.2022 and hence invalid.

9.

We are of the view that the present matter stands covered by the decision of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Union of India Vs. Rajeev Bansal [2024] 469 ITR 46 (SC), and accordingly, we hold that the order passed u/s 148A(d) of the Act and the consequential notice issued u/s 148 of the Act both dated 28.04.2022 are bad in law for being violative of the provisions of section 151 (ii) of the Act. Hence, they are required to be quashed and set aside.

10.

Accordingly, the consequential reassessment order dated 10.01.2024 passed u/s 147 r.w.s. 144 r.w.s 144B of the Act are also set aside and quashed. Since, we have adjudicated one of the legal grounds in favour of the assessee, other grounds raised by the assessee becomes academic.

11.

In the result, appeal filed by the assessee is allowed.

Pronounced in the open court on the date mentioned on the caption page.

Sd/- Sd/- (SANDEEP SINGH KARHAIL) (BALAKRISHNAN S) JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER Bangalore Dated: 07.10.2026 /NS*/

Copy to: 1. Appellants 2. Respondent 3. CIT 4. CIT(A) 5. DR 6. Guard file By order

Assistant Registrar, ITAT, Bangalore. P G Digitally signed by P G RAJANI RAJA Date: 2026.10.14 18:06:04 NI +05'30'

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