PR COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX CENTRAL - 2 DELHI vs. PARAM DAIRY LTD
What did the High Court hold?
The High Court held that no substantial question of law arises as the matter is squarely covered by the decision in Commissioner of Income Tax (Central)-III Vs. Kabul Chawla (2016) 380 ITR 573 (Delhi), which was correctly applied by the ITAT. The ITAT had found that while the assessee's books of account, including cash book, ledger, and bank book maintained on TALLY software (which was seized), were considered, the regular books of account could not be treated as incriminating material for framing assessment under Section 153A read with Section 143(3). For Assessment Years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, assessments were completed under Section 143(3) after scrutiny of audited financial statements, and interference in completed assessments requires incriminating material found during search, as per Kabul Chawla. For Assessment Years 2010-2011 to 2012-2013, the limitation period for issuing a notice under Section 143(2) had expired before the search, meaning the returns were final, as per Chintels India Ltd. Vs. Deputy Commissioner of Income-Tax (2017) 397 ITR 416 (Delhi).
What were the facts?
The appeals by the Pr. Commissioner of Income Tax (Revenue) challenge a common order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) dated November 19, 2019. The ITAT had allowed appeals filed by the respondent assessee, Param Dairy Ltd., and dismissed appeals filed by the Revenue for Assessment Years 2008-2009 to 2012-2013. A search and seizure operation under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was conducted on February 28, 2014. Subsequently, a notice under Section 153A was issued to the assessee. The assessment order under Section 143(3) read with Section 153A included additions of approximately Rs. 17,00,00,000/-. This addition was based on the finding that cash payments claimed to be made to dairy owners for milk purchases were actually made to middlemen, and such cash payments were impermissible. The Revenue contended that this fact emerged during the search.
What were the issues?
1. Whether the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) erred in holding that regular books of account, which were audited and formed part of the return of income, did not constitute incriminating material found during the search for the purpose of framing assessment under Section 153A read with Section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961? (Question of law) 2. Whether the ITAT correctly applied the principles laid down in Commissioner of Income Tax (Central)-III Vs. Kabul Chawla (2016) 380 ITR 573 (Delhi) to the facts of the case, particularly concerning completed assessments and the requirement of incriminating material for additions under Section 153A? Assessee's Contentions: The ITAT wrongly held that the entries of cash payments in the books of account, which were audited and filed with the return, were not incriminating evidence found during the search. The ITAT failed to consider that the return of income was processed under Section 143(1) and not assessed, and that processing and assessment are distinct. Revenue's Contentions: The ITAT expanded the scope of the ruling in Kabul Chawla supra. A search and seizure operation under Section 132 was conducted, followed by a notice under Section 153A. The assessee responded by treating the already filed return as the return for Section 153A. The assessment order under Section 143(3) read with Section 153A made additions based on the discovery during the search that cash payments claimed to dairy owners were to middlemen and impermissible. The ITAT wrongly held that audited books of account were not incriminating material.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
Section 132,Section 153A,Section 143(3),Section 143(1),Section 143(2)
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Cited by 4 judgments on BharatTax
See all citing judgments →Counted from the text of the judgments hosted here. Most recent first.
- K.D.P. Infrastructure Private Limited, Noida, Uttar Pradesh v. DCIT, Central Circle, Ghaziabad, Uttar PradeshDelhi · 2025-12-12
- Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Circle-Shillong, Shillong v. Dhar Construction Company, ShillongGuwahati · 2025-01-22
- Alexis Global Private Limited, New Delhi v. Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Circle 2(2), DelhiDelhi · 2024-07-31
- Omni Active Health Technologies Ltd., Mumbai v. Addl/Jt./Dy/CIT/Asstt/ITO, National E-Assessmetnt Centre…Mumbai · 2022-10-17
ITA 37/2021 & ITA 41/2021
Page 1 of 4
$~82 & 86 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + ITA 37/2021
PR. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX
CENTRAL-2, NEW DELHI
..... Appellant
Through: Mr. Raghvendra Singh, Adv.
Versus
PARAM DAIRY LTD.
..... Respondent
Through: Mr. Rohit Jain and Mr. Aniket D.
Agrawal, Advs.
AND + ITA 41/2021
PR. COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX
CENTRAL-2, NEW DELHI
..... Appellant
Through: Mr. Raghvendra Singh, Adv.
Versus
PARAM DAIRY LTD.
..... Respondent
Through: Mr. Rohit Jain and Mr. Aniket D.
Agrawal, Advs. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIV SAHAI ENDLAW HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV NARULA O R D E R %
15.02.2021 [VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING]
The appeals impugn the common order dated 19th November, 2019 of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in ITA Nos.3988 to 3992/DEL/2019 for the Assessment Years 2008-2009 to 2012-2013 preferred by the respondent assessee as well as in ITA Nos.5023 to 5027/DEL/2019 for the Assessment Years 2008-2009 to 2012-2013, preferred by the appellant Revenue. 2. Vide the impugned order, the appeals of the respondent assessee were allowed and the appeals of the appellant Revenue were dismissed. This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/06/2026 at 13:15:25
ITA 37/2021 & ITA 41/2021
Page 2 of 4
The counsel for the appellant Revenue contends that a substantial question of law arises, as ITAT has expanded the scope of what was held by this Court in Commissioner of Income Tax (Central)-III Vs. Kabul Chawla
(2016) 380 ITR 573 (Delhi). 4. It is argued, (i) that a search and seizure operation under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 was carried out in the case of Param and Rama Group, on 28th February, 2014; (ii) that pursuant to search, notice under Section 153A of the Act was issued and served on the respondent assessee, asking the respondent assessee to file the return of income; (iii) that the respondent assessee responded that the return of income already filed, be treated as return filed in response to the notice under Section 153A of the Act; (iv) that the assessment order under Section 143(3) read with Section 153A of the Act was framed, after making several additions to income and other alterations; (v) that though the respondent assessee in his return of income had claimed cash payment of about Rs.17,00,00,000/- to dairy owners from whom the respondent assessee claimed to have purchased milk but during search, it was found that the said payments were not to dairy owners but to middlemen and cash payments whereto were not permitted and which led to addition of the said sum of about Rs.17,00,00,000/- to the income of the respondent assessee; (vi) that the said fact of cash payments to the middlemen emerged during the search only; (vii) that the ITAT wrongly held that since the entries of cash payments were made in the books of account, which had been subjected to audit and which audited financial statements of account were part of the return of income filed and assessment whereof stood concluded, it was not incriminating evidence found during the search; (viii) that the ITAT did not consider that the return of income filed This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/06/2026 at 13:15:25
ITA 37/2021 & ITA 41/2021
Page 3 of 4
was merely processed under Section 143(1) of the Act and was not assessed; and, (ix) that it is the settled law that processing of return of income filed and assessment of income, are two distinct things. 5. We have considered the aforesaid contentions and are of the view that no substantial question of law arises, as the matter is squarely covered by Kabul Chawla supra, which has been correctly applied to the facts of the case by the ITAT. The ITAT, in the impugned order has held that in the audited report filed by the assessee along with the report, cash book, ledger, bank book etc. were mentioned; that the respondent assessee was maintaining books on TALLY Accounting Software which was seized during the search and was being treated as incriminating material; however, regular books of account of the assessee, by no stretch of imagination, could be treated as incriminating material to form basis of framing assessment under Section 153A read with Section 143(3) of the Act. It was further held that assessment for the Assessment Years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 were completed under Section 143(3) vide orders dated 28th July, 2010 and 31st May, 2011 respectively and audited books of account were thoroughly examined and details of purchase of milk must have been scrutinized as it was part of audited financial statement of accounts; as per Kabul Chawla supra, completed assessments can be interfered only on the basis of some incriminating material unearth during the search. With respect to the Assessment Years 2010-2011 to 2012-2013, the ITAT held that though no assessment was framed under Section 143(3) but it could safely be concluded that the period of limitation for issuing a notice under Section 143(2) expired much before the date of the search; reliance was placed on Chintels India Ltd. Vs. Deputy Commissioner of Income-Tax (2017) 397 This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/06/2026 at 13:15:25
ITA 37/2021 & ITA 41/2021
Page 4 of 4
ITR 416 (Delhi) holding that once an assessee does not receive a notice under Section 143(2) of the Act within the stipulated period, such an assessee can take it that the return filed by him has become final and no scrutiny proceeding are to be undertaken with respect to that return. 6. Dismissed.
RAJIV SAHAI ENDLAW, J.
SANJEEV NARULA, J. FEBRUARY 15, 2021 'bs'
This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/06/2026 at 13:15:25
More judgments on Section 132
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