Facts
The Revenue filed eight appeals against the CIT(A)'s orders that reversed protective additions made by the Assessing Officer against two assessees, M/s. Apple Natural Resources Pvt. Ltd. and M/s. Apple Mineral Pvt. Ltd. These additions stemmed from a section 132 search action against the 'Apple Group' in 2014, leading to section 153C proceedings. While the CIT(A) upheld substantive additions for the main searched person, Ashish Garg, the protective additions against the present assessees were set aside.
Held
The Tribunal dismissed the Revenue's appeals, affirming that the CIT(A) was correct in rejecting the protective additions against the assessees. The Tribunal found no material under section 292C to uphold these impugned protective additions. Furthermore, the share capital addition was deemed a double addition, as it had already been assessed in the preceding assessment year 2011-12.
Key Issues
Whether protective additions against the assessees were justified in the absence of incriminating material under Section 292C, and whether an addition for share capital constituted an impermissible double addition if already assessed in a prior year.
Sections Cited
Section 132, Section 153C, Section 144, Section 292C
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, DELHI BENCH: ‘A’ NEW DELHI
Before: SHRI SATBEER SINGH GODARA & SHRI M. BALAGANESH
Date of hearing 13.11.2024 & 14.11.2024 Date of pronouncement 27.11.2024 ORDER
PER SATBEER SINGH GODARA, JM
The instant batch of 8 Revenue’s appeals pertain to two assessees herein, namely, M/s. Apple Natural Resources Pvt. Ltd. , 1951, 1952 & 1953/Del/2024; 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1981/Del/2024 and M/s. Apple Minerals Pvt. Ltd. All other Revenue appeals’ details thereof stand tabulated as under:
Sl. Appeal No. Appellant Respondent Order Appealed against No. 1. 1950/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Natural CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2012-13 Central Resources Pvt. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, Ltd. in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10098/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 2. 1951/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Natural CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2013-14 Central Resources Pvt. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, Ltd. in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10099/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 3. 1952/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Natural CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2014-15 Central Resources Pvt. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, Ltd. in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10100/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 4. 1953/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Natural CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2015-16 Central Resources Pvt. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, Ltd. in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10101/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 5. 1978/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Mineral CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2012-13 Central Pvt. Ltd. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10106/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 6. 1979/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Mineral CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2013-14 Central Pvt. Ltd. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- New Delhi 4/10108/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 7. 1980/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Mineral CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2014-15 Central Pvt. Ltd. dated 27.02.2024 passed 2 | P a g e , 1951, 1952 & 1953/Del/2024; 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1981/Del/2024
Circle-II, in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10109/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act 8. 1981/Del/2024 DCIT, Apple Mineral CIT(A)-3, Noida ’s order for AY: 2015-16 Central Pvt. Ltd. dated 27.02.2024 passed Circle-II, in case no. CIT(A), Kanpur- Noida 4/10110/2018-19 involving proceedings under Section 153C r.w.s 144 of the Act
Cases called twice. None appeared at the behest of the assessee. We accordingly proceeded ex-parte.
Learned CIT(DR) representing Revenue vehemently argued during the course of hearing that CIT(A)’s impugned lower appellate orders have erred in law/facts in reversing the corresponding assessment findings making “protective” additions, involving varying sums in these cases. There would be hardly any dispute that all these Revenue’s eight appeals have emanated from the department’s section 132 search action in M/s. Apple Group on 11.11.2014 leading to initiation of section 153C proceedings against both these assessees, namely, M/s. Apple Natural Resources Pvt. Ltd. and M/s. Apple Mineral Pvt. Ltd. which finally culminated in identical protective additions in their respective hands. The department is indeed very fair during the course of hearing that the CIT(A)’s identical orders in case of Ashish Garg 3 | P a g e , 1951, 1952 & 1953/Del/2024; 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1981/Del/2024 making substantive additions to the very effect have been duly upheld.
Mr. Javed Akhtar, learned CIT(DR) informs us that the learned Assessing Officer has made the impugned protective additions in assessee’s hands to protect the interest of the Revenue going by Lalji Haridas Vs. ITO [1961] 43 ITR 387 (SC). 5. It is this factual backdrop that we proceed to treat Revenue’s appeal in as the “lead” case raising twin substantive grounds seeking to revise undisclosed income protective addition of Rs. 4,57,26,000/- and bogus share capital amounting to Rs.28,22,30,000/-; respectively.
We have given our thoughtful consideration to the Revenue’s foregoing twin substantive grounds in this “lead” case i.e. and find no merit therein. We make it clear that the learned CIT(A) has not only upheld the substantive additions in case of the main searched person Sh. Ashish Garg, but also concluded in light of section 292C of the Act that going by the statutory presumption of the contents in the incriminating material seized during the course of search, there is no material to uphold the impugned protective addition in the assessee’s hands.
4 | P a g e , 1951, 1952 & 1953/Del/2024; 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1981/Del/2024
So far as Revenue’s latter substantive ground regarding share capital addition in the assessee’s case is concerned, it has been reversed on the ground that the same already stands assessed in preceding assessment year 2011-12 which has gone un-rebutted from the Revenue side. We thus see no reasons to accept its instant latter substantive grounds being an instance of double addition. This Revenue’s “lead” appeal in fails accordingly. Same order to follow in the Revenue’s remaining seven appeals seeking to revive identical protective additions which stand rejected in very terms.