S.SURESH vs. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER O
What did the High Court hold?
The High Court found that neither the CIT(Appeals) nor the ITAT had dealt with the aspect of adjudication done under Section 47(A)(1) of the Indian Stamp Act. The Court noted that an appeal challenging the adjudication by the Special Deputy Collector, Salem, regarding the property's value had been filed before the Chief Commissioner (Stamp), Salem, where the value per sq.ft. was increased. The Court held that this order from the statutory authority would have a bearing on the adjudication by the lower authorities. Since this ground was specifically raised before the CIT(Appeals) and the ITAT but not considered or adjudicated, the Court framed a substantial question of law regarding the non-consideration of the adjudication under the Indian Stamp Act. The Court answered this question in the affirmative in favour of the assessee. Consequently, T.C.A.No.150/2020 was partly allowed, the impugned ITAT order was set aside, and the matter was remanded to the ITAT for fresh consideration of the order passed by the Chief Revenue Officer / Inspector General of Registration, Chennai. As a result, T.C.A.No.139/2020 was dismissed as no orders were necessary in light of the remand.
What were the facts?
The assessee, an individual, filed a return of income for assessment year 2009-2010 in response to a notice under Section 153A following a search under Section 132. During the search on 22.05.2014, an Executive Diary for 2008 was seized, containing entries related to property transactions. The assessee provided a voluntary statement under Section 132(4) admitting the diary entries, but later retracted it. The CIT(Appeals) confirmed the assessment order, considering the voluntary statement, retraction statement, and a High Court decision. The ITAT also confirmed the CIT(Appeals)'s order, focusing on the addition of Rs.49,50,000/- for unexplained investment in property purchase, based on the admission of on-money payment and the retracted confession. The assessee filed a miscellaneous petition under Section 254(2) for non-consideration of certain grounds, which was dismissed. These appeals challenge the ITAT's order and the dismissal of the miscellaneous petition.
What were the issues?
The Tribunal had to decide the following substantial questions of law: 1. Whether the ITAT passed a cryptic, non-considered, and perverse order? 2. Whether a confession obtained at odd hours is valid and can be relied upon? 3. Whether the addition under Section 69 was justified based solely on a diary noting without corroborative material, especially when explained as a projection? 4. Whether the Department should have conducted an independent enquiry to ascertain the market value of the property? 5. Whether the entire addition of unaccounted investment under Section 69 was correct when the assessee was only a 50% co-owner? 6. Whether the addition under Section 69 was made without corroborative evidence? 7. Whether the ITAT was right in dismissing the miscellaneous petition for non-adjudication of grounds of appeal? 8. Whether the ITAT was right in not recalling its order without adjudicating the grounds of appeal? Assessee's contentions: The assessee argued that the voluntary statement was retracted before the assessment order was completed. The diary entry was a projection for property improvement and not actual payment. No supporting material was collected except the statement. The issue of adjudication under Section 47(A)(1) of the Indian Stamp Act was not dealt with. The Revenue did not conduct an independent valuation of the property. The entire addition was made despite the assessee being a 50% co-owner. Revenue's contentions: The Revenue submitted that the assessee did not dispute the diary maintenance or the entry. The voluntary statement and retraction statement were considered. The retraction letter did not specifically raise the issue of adjudication under Section 47(A)(1) of the Indian Stamp Act. The burden was on the assessee under Section 134(A) to discharge the presumption, which was not done. The findings were concurrent, and no substantial questions of law arose.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
Section 153A,Section 132,Section 132(4),Section 69,Section 254(2),Section 47(A)(1),Section 47(A)(5),Section 134(A),Section 260-A
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED 05.03.2020 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M. SATHYANARAYANAN AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ABDUL QUDDHOSE TCA.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 S.Suresh
.. Appellant in both appeals Versus The Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle, Salem 636 308.
.. Respondent in both appeals COMMON PRAYER:- Tax Case Appeal filed under Section 260-A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, against the order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal ''B'' Bench dated 08.11.2019 made in M.P.No.290/Chny/2019 and ITA No.942/Chny/2019. For Appellant in both appeals :Mr.G.Baskar For Respondent in both appeals:Mr.T.R.Senthil Kumar 1/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 COMMON JUDGMENT [Judgment of the Court was made by M.SATHYANARAYANAN,J.,] The facts leading to these appeals are intertwined and therefore, the appeals are disposed of by this common judgment. 2. The appellant in both the appeals is the assessee and he is an individual. The assessee has filed his return of income dated 07.05.2017 for the assessment year 2009-2010, in response to the notice issued under Section 153-A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 [in short “IT Act”] dated 09.04.2015 declaring a total income of Rs.8,88,420/- and agricultural income of Rs.12,500/- and the said notice was proceeded by a Search under Section 132 of the IT Act, which was conducted in the business premises of the assessee on 22.05.2014 and during the course of search, the Executive Diary maintained by the assessee for the year 2008 was seized on 22.05.2014 and the relevant entries found are extracted below: 2/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 HOUSE MD 50,00,000 BANK 34,00,000 7,00,000 Total 91,00,000 Total Registration 90,00,000 Stamp & Registration 3,78,000 Bank Charges 50,000 94,28,000 91,00,000 ------------ 3,28,000
The voluntary statement under Section 132(4) of the IT Act was also recorded, wherein the assessee admitted the maintenance of the diary of the above said entries. The Commissioner of Income Tax (appeals) (in short hereinafter referred as ['CIT (Appeals)'] has taken into consideration the 3/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 original voluntary statement given by the assessee under Section 132(4) of the ITAct as well as the restraction statement in the form of letter dated 26.10.2016 and also taken into consideration the various decisions rendered by the Division Bench of this Court in Thiru.S.Shyam Kumar Vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle-III(3), Chennai ([2018] 99 taxmann.com 39 (Madras)), and confirmed the order of Assessment, vide order dated 01.03.2019. 4. The assesee, challenging the legality of the said order, preferred further appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Chennai (in short hereinafter referred as 'ITAT') and the ITAT, vide impugned order dated 08.11.2019 has taken into consideration that the only issue involved in the present appeal as to the addition of Rs.49,50,000/- on account of unexplained investment in the purchase of property and he had admitted undisclosed income in the form of on-money payment for purchase of property and further taken into consideration the retraction statement in the form of letter dated 26.10.2016 and also placing reliance upon [2018] 99 taxmann.com 39 (Madras) (cited supra), has confirmed the order of the 4/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 CIT (Appeals). 5. The assessee, after the disposal of the appeal, filed M.P.No.290 of 2019 under Section 254(2) of the IT Act as to the non-consideration of Ground Nos.7 and 8 and the said Miscellaneous Petition has also ended in dismissal vide order dated 20.01.2020. The assessee aggrieved by the said order and making challenge to the same, had filed these appeals. 6. The assessee has raised the following Substantial Questions of Law: Cryptic, non-considered & Perverse Order a) Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in passing a crptic, non-considered and perverse order? validity of retracted confession obtained at odd hours: b) whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in not holding that the confession obtained at odd hours is not valid and cannot be relied on in evidence? Diary Noting C) whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in 5/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 confirming the addition made under Section 69 of Income Tax, merely on casual diary noting without any corroborative material, more particularly when the appellant had explained the same to be projection? Independent enquiry to ascertain Market Value d) Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in not considering that independent enquiry should be made by the Department on the market value of the property to have corroborative material to substantiate the value arrived at by it more that fixed by the Statutory Authority? Co-owner entitled to only 50% ownership e) whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in upholding the entire addition of unaccounted investment under Section 69 of Income Tax Act in the hands of the appellant, when the appellant was only holding 50% interest as co-owner of the said house property? Addition u/s 39 f)Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in upholding the addition of unaccounted investment u/s.69 of Income Tax Act, 1961 made without any corroborative evidences as brought out above? 6/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 Miscellaneous Petition g) whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in dismissing the Miscellaneous Petition filed for rectification of mistake apparent on record u/s.254(2) of Income tax Act, 1961 for want to adjudication of the Grounds of Appeal raised in appeal? h) whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal was right in law in not recalling its non-considered cryptic order without adjudicating the Grounds of Appeal raised in appeal? 7. The learned counsel appearing for the appellant / assesee has invited the attention of this Court to the typed set and additional typed set of documents and would submit that before the Assessment Order was completed, the appellant / assessee retracted his alleged voluntary statement under Section 132(4) of the Income Tax Act, vide letter dated 26.10.2016 and though he admitted the contents of particular entry, the fact remains that the Sale Deed came into being on 16.04.2008 and whereas the diary entry preferably dated 10.01.2008 entering the sale of the property and for the purpose of making improvement to the property being purchased, only entry 7/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 was made actually and it was not even paid to the seller of the property. It is the further submission of the learned counsel appearing for the appellant / assessee that except the diary entry, no tenable or supporting material whatsoever has been collected except by recording statement and though in the grounds of appeal before the CIT (Appeals), specific ground has been raised as to the adjudication done under Section 47 (A) (1) of the Indian Stamp Act, the said issue have not been dealt with at all and it is also the submission of the learned counsel appearing for the appellant that it is also open to the Revenue to make an independent assessment of the immovable property purchased by the assessee, by the valuers and even the said exercise has not been done and hence prays for interference. 8. The learned Standing Counsel appearing for the Revenue would submit that admittedly the appellant / assessee did not dispute the maintenance of the diary as well as particular entry made in the diary and the only requirement is the voluntary statement given under Section 132 (4) of the IT Act as well as retraction statement in the form of letter, have to be taken into consideration and the Assessing Officer has also done that 8/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 exercise and even in the retraction letter dated 26.10.2016, the adjudication done under Section 47 (A) (1) of the Indian Stamp Act have not been specifically raised or stated and burden lies heavy on the assessee in the light of the presumption cast upon him under Section 134(A) of the IT Act and the petitioner has failed to discharge the presumption and would further add that since the findings are concurrent in nature, there are no Substantial Questions of Law raised for consideration in these appeals and prays for dismissal of these appeals. 9. This Court has carefully considered the rival submissions and also perused the materials placed before it. 10. A perusal of the order passed by the CIT (Appeals) dated 01.03.2019 as well as the original order dated 08.11.2019 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal did not deal with the aspect as to the adjudication done under Section 47 (A) (1) of the Indian Stamp Act. It also appears from the materials placed in the form of additional typed set of documents dated 04.03.2020 filed by the appellant / assessee that 9/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 challenging the adjudication done by the Special Deputy Collector, Salem, dated 19.08.2011, further appeal was filed under Section 47 (A) (5) of the Indian Stamp Act before the Chief Commissioner (Stamp), Salem and the value of the site fixed at Rs.545 per sq.ft has been increased to Rs.600 per sq.ft and it was also complied with. 11. In the considered opinion of this Court, the said order passed by the statutory authority would definitely have a bearing on the adjudication done by the authorities below and despite the fact that specific ground has been raised before the CIT (Appeals) as well as before the ITAT, the said grounds have not been considered and adjudicated. Therefore, the following substantial question of law raises for consideration: Whether the order of CIT (appeals) dated 01.03.2019, as confirmed by the impugned order of ITAT dated 08.11.2019, as to the non consideration of adjudication done under Section 47 (A)
(1) of the Indian Stamp Act as well as adjudication done by the Chief Revenue Officer / Inspector General of Registration, Chennai 28 in the appeal filed under Section 47 (A) (5) of the Indian Stamp Act, is sustainable in law? 10/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 12. In the considered opinion of this Court, the Substantial Question of Law framed is answered in affirmative in favour of the appellant / assessee, in the light of the reasons assigned above. 13. In the result, T.C.No.150/2020 is partly allowed and the impugned order dated 08.11.2019 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal is set aside and the matter is remanded to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal 'B' Bench for fresh consideration as to the order of the Chief Revenue Officer / Inspector General of Registration, Chennai 28 dated 11.02.2013 in Pa.Mu.No.59078/N2/2010 and as a consequence of allowing T.C.A.No.150/2020, no orders are necessary in T.C.A.No.139/2020 and as a result, the said appeal is dismissed. No costs. [M.S.N.,J] [A.Q., J] 05.03.2020 sk Internet : Yes/No Index : Yes/No To The Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle, 11/13 http://www.judis.nic.in T.C.A.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 Salem 636 308.
M.SATHYANARAYANAN, J., AND ABDUL QUDDHOSE, J., sk TCA.Nos.139 & 150 of 2020 12/13 http://www.judis.nic.in
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