DR DINESH JAIN vs. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX II(2) MUMBAI

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ITXA/136/2014HC Bombay24 March 2014Author: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE, HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE M.S. SANKLECHA8 pages
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What did the High Court hold?

The High Court consolidated questions (A) to (E) with similar questions from another appeal (ITXA No. 133 of 2014) for assessment year 2006-07, stating that these questions did not raise substantial questions of law and were not entertained. Regarding question (F), which concerned the extrapolation of findings for a part of the year to the whole year, the High Court noted that the Tribunal followed the Supreme Court's decision in CST vs. H.M. Esufali H.M. Abdulali. The assessee contended that this case was inapplicable as there was no evidence of continued unrecorded receipts post-survey. The Court found that this distinction needed consideration at the final hearing. Therefore, the appeal was admitted only with regard to question (F). The operative direction was to admit the appeal for further hearing on question (F).

What were the facts?

The assessee, Dr. Dinesh Jain, a practicing dentist, is in appeal before the High Court against an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (Tribunal) for assessment year 2007-08. A survey under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was conducted at his clinic on August 30, 2007. During the survey, diaries and loose documents were found, indicating discrepancies between recorded receipts in the books of account and actual receipts noted in diaries/notebooks. A loose paper, 'Page No. 17', showing monthly receipts from April 2003 to June 2006, was also found. The assessee initially agreed to offer additional receipts shown in 'Page No. 17' to tax but later explained it as inflated figures prepared by his financial consultant for bank funding. The Assessing Officer enhanced the taxable income based on suppressed receipts and unexplained cash credits. The CIT(A) partly allowed the appeal, deleting additions for cash credits but upholding the enhancement for suppressed receipts and the difference in stamp duty valuation for a shop purchase. The Tribunal upheld the extrapolation of income suppression for a part of the year to the whole year and remanded the issue of shop purchase valuation for fresh consideration.

What were the issues?

The High Court had to decide on several questions of law. (A) Whether the Tribunal erred in relying on a statement recorded under Section 133A during survey proceedings, ignoring the Supreme Court's ratio in CIT vs. S. Khadar Khan Son. (B) Whether the Tribunal erred by relying on a statement recorded after midnight during survey proceedings, ignoring the Gujarat High Court's ratio in Kailashben Manharlal Chokshi. (C) Whether the Tribunal failed to appreciate that the onus shifted to the revenue when the assessee explained 'Page No. 17', its author, origin, and purpose, and clarified an employee's statement. (D) Whether the Tribunal was justified in disregarding an affidavit by Shri Ramesh Shetty, the author of 'Page No. 17', ignoring the Supreme Court's judgment in Mehta Parikh. (E) Whether the Tribunal erred in treating receipts as income and arriving at an arbitrary net profit rate of 90% for a professional, ignoring prior year ratios. (F) Whether the Tribunal erred in upholding the estimation of professional receipts for the whole year based on figures from 'Page No. 17' for only part of the year. The assessee argued that the Tribunal erred in its findings on these issues. The revenue's contentions are not explicitly recorded for each issue, but the appeal is by the revenue challenging the Tribunal's order.

Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?

Section 133A,Section 260A

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Cause title — parties, addresses and appearances
ASN 1/8 ITXA-136 of 14 .sxw     IN THE HIGH COURT  OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION INCOME TAX APPEAL NO.136 OF 2014 Dr. Dinesh Jain, ] 4­A, Bindiya, 1st floor, ] Opp. Bank of India, ] ...Appellant. Hill Road, Bandra(W), ] Mumbai – 400 050. ] vs. Deputy  Commissioner of Income Tax ] 11(2), Mumbai,  ] Aaykar Bhavan, M. K. Road,  ] ...Respondent. Mumbai 400 020.   ]  Mr. Firoze Andhyarujina along with Mr. Maneck F. Andhyarujina  i/by  Samir Dalal for the Appellant. Mr. Chottaray for the Respondent.  CORAM :      MOHIT S. SHAH, C.J. AND                 M.S. SANKLECHA, J.             RESERVED ON   : 12 February 2014   PERONOUNCED ON : 24 March 2014

JUDGMENT :( Per M.S.Sanklecha, J.) In this appeal by the revenue under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act,1961 (“the Act”), the appellant­ assessee has challenged the order dated 10 April 2012 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (“the Tribunal”) for assessment year 2007­08. The impugned CNR No : HCBM020187682013 Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 2/8 order dated 10 August 2012 of the Tribunal is a common order passed for assessment years 2004­05, 2005­06, 2006­07 and 2007­08. 2) Following   questions   of   law   have   been   raised   for   our consideration. A) Whether in the present facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal erred in relying on the statement u/s.133A of the Act, recorded on oath, Khadar Khan Son (2012) 254 CTR (SC) 228? B) Whether in the present facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal erred by relying on the statement u/s.133A recorded after midnight in the course of survey proceedings ignoring the ratio laid down   in   the   case   of   Kailashben   Manharlal   Chokshi (2008) 220 CTR (Guj) 138? C) Whether in the present facts and circumstances and in law, the Tribunal failed to appreciate that the onus of evidence shifted to the respondent, when the appellant explained Page No.17, its author, its origin and purpose and the clarification of the statement of the employee of the appellant that is of Ms. Brenda? Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 3/8 D) Whether in the facts and circumstances of the case   and   in   law,   the   Tribunal   was   justified   in disregarding the crucial affidavit dated 12 December 2008, on record of the proceedings, by Shri.Ramesh Shetty, the author of the loose paper explaining Page No.17 thereby ignoring the Apex Court judgment in the case of Mehta Parikh 30 ITR 181 (SC)? E) Whether   the   Tribunal   in   the   facts   and circumstances, erred in treating receipts as income and further by arriving at an ad hoc/arbitrary net profit rate of 90%, on an incorrect premises, that in case of a professional, no cost is involved and ignoring net profit ratios and material to gross receipt ratios, of the prior years? F) Whether in the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal erred in upholding the action of the respondent, whereby he estimated the professional receipt of the appellant for the whole year based   on   the   figures   mentioned   in   the   loose   paper (Page No.17) for part of the year only? 3) Brief Facts:­ (a) The appellant assessee is a practicing Dentist. On 30 August 2007 a survey was conducted under Section 133A of the Act at the Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 4/8 appellant­assessee's clinic. During the course of survey, some diaries and loose documents were found.   One  such diary  was marked as “A1 Fantasy”. In this diary, professional receipts from 6 August 2007 to 30 August 2007 were recorded but the pages before 6 August 2007 were torn therefrom. The receptionist of the appellant one Ms. D'Souza made a statement during the course of  survey pointing out that the receipts from   each patient is recorded in   diary and note book which are handed over by her to the appellant­assessee.  From the perusal of the fees recorded  in the diary and note book compared to that recorded in the regular Books of Account, it is found that the   Books of Account record     much lower amounts as receipts then the amounts actually received as recorded in the diary and note book. The discrepancies noticed between the alleged actual receipts and that shown in books of account were pointed out to the appellant­assessee as  under:­ Date Amount recorded in Note book Amount recorded in the books of accounts. 1.8.2007 13,100 1,100 4.8.2007 18,000 12,300 7.8.2007 7,200 1,150 9.8.2007 26,500 4,300 17.8.2007 29,600 11,500 28.8.2007 15,800 1,900 15,700 The   appellant­assessee   in   the   course   of   his   statement admitted that the amounts  collected by the receptionist from patients were being entered in the diary /note book. Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 5/8 (b) Besides   a   loose   paper   titled   “"Page   No.17"”   was   found during   the   survey.     This   loose   paper   “"Page   No.17"”   recorded   the monthly receipts from April 2003 to June 2006. On being confronted with "Page No.17" appellant­assessee agreed to offer additional receipts shown in the loose paper “Page No.17”  to tax. However, thereafter the appellant­ assessee sought to explain “"Page No.17"” by stating that this page had been prepared by his financial consultant one Mr. Ramesh Shetty who was preparing a project report to obtain funds from Bank for purchase of equipments.   Therefore, it was stated that monthly receipts were inflated so as to enable larger finance from the bankers. (c) On 31 October 2007, the appellant assessee filed  return of income declaring a total income of Rs.10.87 lacs. Thereafter, on 14 October 2008 a revised return of income was filed for assessment year 2007­08 declaring income at Rs.20.15 lacs. On 30 December 2009 the Assessing officer passed   an assessment order   enhancing petitioner's taxable  income from Rs.20.15 lacs to Rs.64.35 lacs. This was essentially on the basis of suppression of receipts and unexplained cash credits. The suppression of receipts was on the basis the loose sheet Page No.17 showed receipts for the period April 2006 to June 2006 at Rs.18.82 lacs whereas   the   books   of   account   show   the   receipt   at   Rs.11.27   lacs. Therefore, the percentage of suppression   worked out for the above period was  applied to the entire year from that disclosed in the books of account. On the above basis the  suppressed income was determined at Rs.34.32 lacs for the entire year. However, the entire cash receipts were subjected to tax without any deductions on account of expenditure Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 6/8 incurred   there   from.   Similarly   an   amount   of   Rs.9.28     lacs   and Rs.60,000/­  was  added on the basis  of loose sheet Page Nos.  66 and

67.

In the assessment order, in view of the findings that the appellant assessee has purchased a shop at Rs.21.50 lacs when the stamp duty valuation   is   Rs.48.86   lacs,   referred   the   issue   of   valuation   to departmental Valuation Officer and reserved its rights to take remedial action on receipt of the report of the  Valuation officer. 4) Being   aggrieved   the   appellant   filed   an   appeal   to Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals)(CIT(A)). By an order dated 1 November 2010 the   CIT(A)partly allowed the assessee's appeal. The CIT(A) held that in view of order dated 15 October 2010 passed in rectification under Section 154 of the Act the addition of cash credits of Rs.9.28 lacs   and Rs.60,000/­ is no longer sustainable. Moreover, the CIT(A) also held that income be enhanced by the difference between stamp duty valuation and purchase price of the shop.  Save and except the above, the CIT (Appeal) dismissed the appellant­assessee's appeal. 5) Being aggrieved the appellant­assessee preferred an appeal to the Tribunal. The appeal for assessment year 2007­08 was heard by the Tribunal along with the appeals for assessment year 2004­05, 2005­ 06 and 2006­07. The additional  issues raised by the appellant­assessee in this appeal before the Tribunal were as under:­ a) Addition   of   amount   of   Rs.34.32   lacs   on account of suppressed receipt during the survey was not sustainable and Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 7/8 b) Enhancement   of   income   on   account   of understated consideration on purchase of shop was not sustainable. So   far   as   first   issue   was   concerned,   the   Tribunal   by impugned   order     upheld   that   findings   of   the   lower   authority   of extrapolating the income suppressed for the part of the year   to the whole year. So far as the second issue is  concerned, the Tribunal by the impugned   order   set   aside   the   order   of   CIT(A)   with   regard   to enhancement of income on account of the difference between the stamp duty   valuation   at   Rs.48.86   and   the   purchase   price   of   the   shop   at Rs.22.50 lacs. However, the Tribunal by the impugned order remanded the above issue  to CIT (Appeals) for fresh consideration. All other issues were  common to  the other appeals for assessment year 2005­06 and 2006­07 which  are not entertained by the impugned order dated 10 April 2012 of the Tribunal. 6) In the appeal before us the appellant assessee has framed various questions of law.   Questions (A) to (E) are identical to the questions  raised in   Income  Tax  Appeal  No.133   of  2014. Therefore, Question (A) to (E) are being disposed of by our order passed today in Income   Tax   Appeal   No.133   of   2014   for   assessment   year   2006­07. Therefore, questions (A) to (E) do not raise any substantial questions of law and are not being entertained. 7) So far as Question (F) is concerned, it deals with the first Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32

ASN 8/8 issue raised before the Tribunal i.e. extrapolating the findings in respect made by the appellant­assessee needs to be considered at the stage of final hearing. Therefore, appeal is admitted with regard to question (F) only. CHIEF JUSTICE

(M.S. SANKLECHA, J.) Uploaded on - 21/08/2020 Downloaded on - 28/10/2026 04:15:32 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

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