WAVES DATA MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED ,DELHI vs. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX CENTRAL CIRCLE 26, DELHI, 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 order passed by the AO under Section 153C was not in accordance with the amended provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The amendment, effective from April 1, 2021, stipulates that if a search is conducted or satisfaction is drawn by the AO of the non-searched person on or after April 1, 2021, the assessment proceedings must be completed under Section 147/148A, not Section 153C. In this case, the AO recorded satisfaction on August 1, 2022, which falls after the stipulated date. Therefore, the AO should have initiated proceedings under Section 147/148A. Since this was not done, the assessment order passed under Section 153C is quashed. As the appeal was allowed on this legal ground, the Tribunal deemed it unnecessary to adjudicate on the merits of the additions made, considering them academic in nature. The operative direction is to quash the assessment order.
What were the facts?
The assessee, Waves Data Management Private Limited, filed an appeal against the order of the CIT(A)-25, Delhi, dated March 23, 2026, for Assessment Year 2014-15. The appeal challenges the initiation and framing of assessment proceedings under Section 153C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the consequent additions made by the Assessing Officer (AO), which were confirmed by the CIT(A). The core of the dispute stems from a search and seizure operation under Section 132 conducted in the case of Alankit Group on October 18, 2019. During this search, certain documents and entries related to the assessee were found. The AO of the searched party recorded satisfaction on June 23, 2022, and transferred the information to the assessee's AO, who then recorded satisfaction on August 1, 2022. The AO subsequently passed an assessment order dated February 20, 2024, under Section 153C.
What were the issues?
1. Whether the assessment proceedings initiated and framed under Section 153C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, are bad in law and liable to be quashed, considering the amendments to the Act effective from April 1, 2021, which mandate proceedings under Section 147/148A for searches or satisfaction recorded on or after that date? 2. Whether the additions made by the AO under Section 153C, including Rs. 70,00,000 under Section 69A for an alleged bogus transaction with Diwakar Commercial Pvt. Ltd. and Rs. 2,10,000 under Section 69C as unexplained expenditure for commission, are sustainable in law, especially in the absence of incriminating material found during the search and without proper opportunity for cross-examination of third-party statements? Assessee's Contentions: The assessee argued that since the AO's satisfaction was recorded on August 1, 2022, which is after April 1, 2021, the assessment should have been completed under Section 147/148A, not Section 153C, as per the amended provisions of the Act. The assessment order passed under Section 153C is therefore invalid. The assessee also contended that the additions were made without incriminating material and that reliance on third-party statements without allowing cross-examination is bad in law. Revenue's Contentions: The judgment does not explicitly record the revenue's contentions.
Which sections of the Income-tax Act were involved?
Section 153C,Section 147,Section 148A,Section 132,Section 69A,Section 69C,Section 143(2),Section 250
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI
Before: SH. ANUBHAV SHARMA & SHRI KRINWANT SAHAY
INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, DELHI BENCHES, NEW DELHI BENCH: H BEFORE SH. ANUBHAV SHARMA, JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI KRINWANT SAHAY, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ITA No.4556/DEL/2026 (िनधा�रण वष�/Assessment Year: 2014-15) Waves Data Management Private DCIT Limited, 9/49, West Punjabi Bagh, Central Circle – 26 Vs. New Delhi -110026 Delhi अपीलाथ� Appellant ��थ� Respondent
Permanent Account Number of Assessee: AAACW6334J
अपीलाथ� �ारा/Appellant represented by: Sh. Pranshu Singhal, CA ��थ� �ारा/Respondent represented by: Sh. Bhopal Singh, CIT DR सुनवाई की तारीख / Date of conclusion of hearing: 25-08-2026 घोषणा की तारीख / Date of pronouncement: 13-11-2026 आदेश / ORDER PER KRINWANT SAHAY, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER : This appeal is filed by the assessee against the order passed by the Ld. CIT(A)-25, Delhi dated 23.03.2026 for the Assessment Year 2014-15. Grounds of appeal are as under :-
“On the facts and circumstances of the case the order passed by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Delhi- 25 Ld. CIT(A) u/s 250 of the Act is bad both in the eyes of the law and on facts and thus, liable to be quashed. Rs. 4878970 2. On the facts and circumstances of the case, the CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the initiation of the proceedings under Section 153C of the Act against the appellant 2 and the assessment framed under Section 153C of the Act which are in violation of the 1 statutory conditions of the Act and the procedure prescribed under the law and as such the same is bad in the eyes of the law and liable to be quashed. 3. On the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Ld. CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the additions made by the Assessing Officer in the assessment order passed u/s 153C of the Act, without any incriminating material having been found during the course of search in relation to additions so made. 4. On the facts and circumstances of the case, the Ld. CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the proceedings initiated under Section 153C and the assessment framed under 4 Section 153C which is bad and liable to be quashed in the absence of a proper satisfaction being recorded by the AO of the searched person that the incriminating material belonging to the assessee was found during the course of the search. 5. On the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the assessment u/s 153C of the Act which was made without issuing and serving mandatory notice u/s 143(2) of the Act within the time limit prescribed under the Act thereby making the assessment order invalid and liable to be quashed. 6. (i) On the facts and circumstances of the case, the Ld. CIT(A) has erred in confirming the addition of Rs. 70,00,000 u/s 69A of the Act alleging the amount paid to Diwakar Commercial Pvt. Ltd. as bogus transaction. (ii) That the aforesaid addition has been confirmed arbitrarily rejecting the explanation and evidences brought on record by the appellant. 7. (i) On the facts and circumstances of the case, the Ld. CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the addition of Rs. 2,10,000 under section 69C of the Act as unexplained expenditure on account of commission at the rate of 3 percent alleged to have been paid by the assessee on the alleged unaccounted transaction paid by the assessee. (ii) That the aforesaid addition has been confirmed arbitrarily rejecting the explanation and evidences brought on record by the appellant. 8. (i) On the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred both on facts and in law in confirming the assessment by placing reliance on statement of third party recorded during the course of search and as such the 2 assessment so made is bad in law and against facts of the case. (ii) That the admission made during the course of search cannot be deemed as conclusive evidence in order to make the addition without any corroborating evidence in this regard. (iii) That the Ld. AO has erred both on facts and in law in drawing adverse inference against the assessee on the basis of statement recorded without giving assessee an opportunity to cross examine the same. 9. That the appellant respectfully craves for leave to add, amend, 9 alter, omit OR substitute any of the grounds of appeal at any time before OR at the time of hearing of the appeal.” 2. During proceedings before us the ld. Counsel of the assessee filed a brief synopsis which is reproduced as under :-
The Ld. Counsel of the assessee argued on the line of written synopsis filed. The main argument of the Ld. Counsel of the assessee was that there was a search and seizure operation u/s.132 of the Act in the case of Alankit Group on 18.10.2019. During search some entries / documentary evidences were found against the assessee accordingly, the AO of the searched party recorded satisfaction note on 23.06.2022 and transferred such information and documents to the AO of the assessee. Assesse’s AO recorded satisfaction note on 01.08.2022. The Ld. Counsel of the assessee submitted that w.e.f. 01.04.2021 there is an amendment in the income tax Act which requires that if search is conducted on or after 01.04.2021 or the satisfaction is drawn by the non-searched party on or after 01.04.2021 in that case the assessment is to be completed u/s.147/148A and not u/s.153C of the Act. In this case it is clear that the satisfaction was recorded by assessee’s AO on 01.08.2022, therefore, the assessment order should have been passed u/s.147/148A and not u/s.153C of the Act but the AO has passed the order dated 20.02.2024 u/s.153C which is not as per amended provisions of the Act.
We have considered the findings given by the authorities below and we have also considered various case laws brought on this issue by different coordinate Benches of the Tribunal as given in the brief synopsis of the assessee. We are of this view that the AO should have passed the order u/s.147/148A of the Act and not u/s.153C of the Act. Since it has not been done, therefore, the order passed by the AO is not as per the amended provisions of the Act. Accordingly, it deserves to be quashed.
Since we have allowed the appeal on the legal issue, therefore, we are not inclined to give our findings on issues on merit as they are just academic in nature.
In the result, the assessee’s appeal on this is allowed.
Order pronounced in the open court on 13.11.2026.
Sd/- Sd/-
[ANUBHAV SHARMA] [KRINWANT SAHAY] JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTANT MEMBER Dated: 13.11.2026 NEHA, Sr.P.S.* Copy forwarded to: 1. Appellant 2. Respondent 3. PCIT 4. CIT(A) 5. DR Asst. Registrar, ITAT, New Delhi
More judgments on Section 153C
- Crystal Hatcheries Private Limited… vs ACIT Central Circle-1(2), BangaloreITA 256/BANG/2025[2019-20]Status: Disposed30 Oct 2026AY 2019-20
- 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
Recent GST High Court judgments
Search GST case law →- Pramod Kumar Behera vs. Union Of INDIAOrissa · 4 Nov 2026
- Santosh Kumar Pradhan (Late Biswabhar Pradhan) vs. The Chief Commissioner, CGST And Central Excise And Customs, BhubaneswarOrissa · 4 Nov 2026
- Mrs. Sharma Glass And Plywoods vs. The Commercial Tax OfficerKarnataka · 4 Nov 2026
- Sri Mohanraj vs. Assistant Commissioner Of Commercial TaxesKarnataka · 4 Nov 2026
- Shobha Kumari vs. State Of Bihar And AnrPatna · 3 Nov 2026