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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, MUMBAI BENCHES “A” MUMBAI
Before: SHRI MAHAVIR SINGH & SHRI N.K. PRADHAN
ORDER
PER N.K. PRADHAN, AM
This is an appeal filed by the assessee. The relevant assessment year is 2007-08. The appeal is directed against the order of the Commissioner (Appeals)-33, Mumbai and arises out of order u/s 271(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the ‘Act’).
The ground of appeal filed by the assessee reads as under:-
“ The Ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) – XXXIII, Mumbai CIT(A) erred in not granting final opportunity of being heard. The Ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) – XXXIII, Mumbai CIT(A) erred in issuing standard notices and passing the order ex-parte without giving the appellant a chance to file a written submission. Further the Ld. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) – XXXIII, Mumbai CIT(A) erred in accepting the Learned Assessing Officer’s stand when prima facie, it was fairy evident, that the penalty levied by the Learned Assessing Officer was mechanical without considering the ‘mens rea’ of the appellant.”
We have perused the relevant material on record. We find that the learned CIT(A) issued a notice on 18.02.2014 fixing the case for hearing on 27.02.2014. In response to it, the assessee requested for an adjournment. Accordingly, the learned CIT(A) adjourned the case for hearing to 20.03.2014. The learned CIT(A) has mentioned that nobody appeared on the above date. After that, he passed the appellate order on 30.09.2014 confirming the penalty of Rs. 6,33,270/- imposed by the A.O. under section 271(1)(c) of the Act.
We find that no reasonable opportunity has been given by the learned CIT(A) to the assessee to represent his case. The opportunity given by the learned CIT(A) has been narrated by us at para 3 here- in-above. As it is a case of penalty imposed by the AO under section 271(1)(c) and the assessee deserves reasonable opportunity of being heard, we set aside the order of learned CIT(A) and restore it to his file to pass an order as per the provisions of the Act after giving reasonable opportunity of being heard to the assessee.
In the result, the appeal is partly allowed for statistical purpose.
Order pronounced in the open court on 21/12/2016