SUNIL CHOPRA,CHENNAI vs. ITO NON CORPORATE WARD 12(4), CHENNAI

The assessee filed this appeal against the order of Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals)-13, Chennai, in 2015-16dated 03.08.2018 for the assessment year 2015-16.

Shri Sunil Chopra, the assessee, filed his return of income for the assessment year 2015-16 on 29.09.2015 admitting a total income of Rs. 11,39,860/-.During assessment year 2015-16, the assessee claimed exemption from the sale of shares of M/s Surabhi Chemicals and Investments Ltd u/s. 10(38).During the assessment proceedings, the A O considered the assessee’s explanation, material etc and also the report received from the investigation carried out by the Investigation Wing, Kolkatta which had revealed that large scale manipulation had been/being done in market price of shares of certain companies listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange by a group of persons acting as a syndicate in order to provide entries of tax exempt long term capital gains to a large number of persons (beneficiaries) in lieu of unaccounted cash etc . Based on them , the AO completed the assessment under Section 143(3) treating the entire sale consideration as an unexplained cash credit and added it to the returned income.

It was submitted by Ld. A.R that the issue in this appeal was against the action of the Ld. CIT(A) in confirming the addition made by ld. Assessing Officer in treating the purchase and sale of shares by the assessee, as penny stock transactions. On the issue u/s 10(38), the Ld. AR submitted on the lines of grounds of appeal

We have considered the rival submissions. On the issue of exemption claim u/s 10(38), it is noticed that the assessee has not been given a fair opportunity to prove the genuineness but the assessment has been made based, primarily, on the evidences collected by the Revenue in the course of the investigation conducted by them on brokers / share broking entities etc. This is not permissible. This being so, in the interests of natural justice, the issue of the genuineness of the transactions require re- adjudication. Since, the right to exemption must be established by those who seek it, the onus therefore lies on the assessee. In order to claim the exemption from payment of income tax, the assessee had to put before the Income Tax authorities proper materials which would enable them to come to a conclusion. (35 ITR 312 (SC)).Thus, the AO must keep in mind that the onus of proving the exemption rests on the assessee. If the AO does have any evidence to the contrary, it is to be put to the assessee for his rebuttal. The internal communications of the Revenue are evidences for drawing an opinion on possible wrong claims but they are not the final evidence. The relevant portion of the order of this Tribunal in the case of Mr. Sunil Kumar Lalwani Vs ITO & others, Non Corporate Circle 9(4), Chennai in & 660/ CHNY/2018 dt.

Further, perusal of assessee’s case shows that it is similar to the facts in the case of Shri Heerachand Kanunga, a decision of the Co-ordinate Bench of this Tribunal made for assessment years 2010-11 & 2011-12 in & 2787/Mds/2017 dated 03.05.2018 . The relevant portions from that order is extracted as under :-

Admittedly, the assessee has claimed to have purchased 15000 shares from M/s.BPL @ Rs.20/- per share totaling into Rs.3,00,000/-. The assessee claims to have paid cash for the purchase of these shares. The primary question would be as to where the purchase was done? If the purchase has been done in Kolkata, how was the cash transferred? When did the assessee received the share certificates and the share transfer forms? How did the assessee overcome the provisions of Sec.40A(3)? Was there adequate cash availability in the books of the assessee on 24.04.2008? Did the assessee travelled to Kolkata? How was the transaction done? Who applied for the demating of the shares? When were they demated? When were the shares transferred to the demat account of the assessee? To whom were the shares sold during the Assessment Years 2010-11 & 2011-12? When were the cheques received by the assessee? From whom did the assessee received the cheques? Was there any cash deposit immediately prior to the issuing of the cheque from the bank account of the purchaser of the shares of the assessee? 11. A perusal of the Assessment Order at Para No.7.1 shows that in the Written Submissions, the assessee states that he has purchased 15000 shares of M/s.BPL from M/s.ABPL, Kolkata. However, in Para No.8.3, it is mentioned that the assessee in good faith has purchased the shares of M/s.BPL from a sub-broker in his friends circle. What is the true nature of the transaction? From whom did the assessee actually purchase the shares? Did the assessee take possession of the shares in its physical form? In Para No.8.1 of the Assessment Order, it is mentioned that the assessee is an investor and has been regularly trading in shares. If this is so, does the demat account show such transactions being done by the assessee or is this the only one of transaction. Thus, clearly the facts required for adjudicating the appeals are not forthcoming. There is no evidence whatsoever to show that the assessee has held the shares for more than 12 months. This is because assuming that the demat has been done and the shares of M/s.BPL has come into the assessee’s demat account and has immediately flown out. Then the factum of the possession of the shares for more than 12 months have to be proved by the assessee. This is also not forthcoming. In reply to a specific query, as the date of the demat of shares, it was submitted by the Ld.AR that the demat was done on various dates. Then the question rises as to why there is so much of difference in the dates of demating when 15000 shares have been purchased together on 24.04.2008. No details in respect of M/s.BPL company is known, what is the product of the company which had lead to the share value of the company to go up from Rs.20/- to Rs.352/- in a period of two years. This would clearly be a case where the share value of the company was hitting the circuit breaker of the stock exchange on a daily basis and obviously it would have drawn attention. This being so, as the facts are not coming out of the Assessment Order nor the order of the Ld.CIT(A) nor from the side of the assessee, we are of the view that the issues in this appeal must be restored to the file of the AO for re-adjudication after granting the assessee adequate opportunity to substantiate its case and we do so.

The statement recorded by the Revenue from Shri Ashok Kumar Kayan cannot be used as an evidence against the assessee in so far as the statement has not been given to the assessee nor has Shri Ashok Kumar Kayan been provided to the assessee for cross-examination. However, the assessee shall prove the transaction of the Long Term Capital Gains in respect of which the assessee has claimed the exemption u/s.10(38) by providing all such evidences as required by the AO to substantiate the claim as also by producing the persons through whom the assessee has undertaken the transaction of the purchase and sale of the shares which would include the sub-broker, friend and the broker through whom the transaction has been done, before the AO for examination.

Respectfully following the above orders, on the facts and circumstances of this case, we deem it fit to remit the issues of exemption claim in this appeal back to the file of the A.O. for re- adjudication on the lines indicated above. Therefore, the A O shall require the assessee; to establish who, with whom, how and in what circumstances the impugned transactions were carried out etc., to prove that the impugned transactions are actual, genuine etc. The assessee shall comply with the A.O’s requirements as per law. The Assessing Officer shall also bring on record the role of the assessee in promoting the company and relationship of the assessee with other promoters, role of the assessee in inflating the price of shares, etc. as had been held by the Co-ordinate Bench of this Tribunal in the case of Shri Aravind Nandial Khatri Vs. I.T.O referred to supra. The Assessing Officer shall keep in mind the directions of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in the case of Pr.CIT Vs M/s. Laxman Industrial Resources Ltd., referred to supra when re- adjudicating the issue. On appreciation of all the above aspects, the AO would decide the matter in accordance with law. The A O is also free to conduct appropriate enquiry as deemed fit, but shall furnish adequate opportunity to the assessee on the material etc. to be used against it and decide the matter in accordance with law.

In the result, the assessee’s appeal is treated as partly allowed for statistical purposes.