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आदेश/Order
Per Sanjay Garg, Judicial Member:
The captioned are the cross appeals, one by the assessee and other by the Revenue against the order dated 29.03.2016 of the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Panchkula [hereinafter referred to as CIT(A)].
ITA Nos. 399 & 740/Chd/2016 Sh. Varinder Singh, Panchkula 2
The issue involved in these appeals is relating to the taxability of the
interest on enhanced compensation on compulsory acquisition of
agricultural land. Before the Assessing officer, the assessee pleaded that
the land in question which was compulsory acquired by Government was an
agricultural land. However, the Assessing officer observed that earlier the
land of one Shri Yoginder Singh was also acquired and the same was
treated as non-agricultural land and accordingly was treated as capital
asset exigible to capital gains tax. The Assessing officer further observed
that assessee inherited the land of said Sh. Yoginder Singh, being his legal
heir, hence, the same proposition will apply to the land in question.
Further, that the assessee even did not furnish any reliance evidence to
show that the land was an agricultural land. He, therefore, treated the land
in question as capital asset and assessed the capital gain tax accordingly on
the compensation received by the assessee and further the interest received
on the said compensation was treated as ‘income from other sources’.
Being aggrieved by the above order of the Assessing officer, the
assessee preferred an appeal before the Ld. CIT(A). Before the Ld.
CIT(A), the assessee submitted certain documents in the shape of
‘Jamabandi’ etc. and pleaded that the land in question was agricultural
land. The Ld. CIT(A) admitted these documents in evidence and held the
land in question was agricultural land. However, in respect of the interest
received on enhanced compensation, he held that he same was to be
treated as ‘income from other sources’/.
ITA Nos. 399 & 740/Chd/2016 Sh. Varinder Singh, Panchkula 3
Being aggrieved by the above order of the CIT(A), the Revenue has
come in appeal pleading that the Ld. CIT(A) without properly examining
the documents, and even without giving opportunity to the Assessing
officer to examine and rebut those documents, has in a mechanical manner
held that the land in question was an agricultural land.
On the other hand, the assessee has agitated the order of the CIT(A)
pleading that the Ld. CIT(A) wrongly treated the interest on the enhanced
compensation as ‘income from other sources’ and further that in the light
of the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of case of ‘CIT
Vs. Ghanshyam (HUF) (2009) 115 ITR 1, the interest received on
enhanced compensation is to be treated as part of the compensation and as
such was not exigible to taxation.
We have considered the rival submissions of the Ld. Representatives
of the assessee. So far as the issue as to the taxability of interest received
on enhanced compensation u/s 28 of the Land Acquisition Act is cornered,
the same is squarely covered by the decision of this Tribunal in the group
of cases with lead case in ‘Shri Satbir Vs. ITO & others’ in ITA Nos.
1413 to 1415/Chd/2016 vide order dated 9.7.2018, another group of cases
with lead case in ‘ITO Vs. Sh. Nachhattar Singh & Others’ in M.A. Nos.
61/Chd/2014 (in ITA Nos. 564/Chd/2010) order dated 7.2.2018 and also
in the case of ‘Som Nath, Yamunanagar Vs. ITO’ in ITA No.
552/Chd/2016 order dated 11.7.2018, wherein, the Tribunal after
considering the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of ‘CIT
Vs. Ghanshyam (HUF)(supra) , and the decision of the Hon'ble Punjab &
ITA Nos. 399 & 740/Chd/2016 Sh. Varinder Singh, Panchkula 4
Haryana High Court in the case of ‘Manjeet Singh (HUF) Karta Manjeet
Singh Vs. UOI’ in CWP No. 15506 of 2013 dated 14.01.2014 and further
decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in ‘UOI Vs. Hari Singh and others
in Civil appeal No. 1504 of 2017 dated 15.9.2017 and another decision of
the Hon'ble Supreme Court in ‘CIT Vs. Chet Ram (HUF)’ dated 12.9.2017
in Civil appeal No. 13053/2017 has held that that the interest received by
an assessee on compulsory acquisition of agricultural land u/s 28 of the
Land Acquisition Act, is to be treated as part of the compensation and
further that the compensation being exempt u/s 10(37) of the Act is not
exigible to the tax.
So far as the actual issue as to whether the land in question is
agricultural land or not, we find that the Ld. CIT(A) has simply relied upon
the documents furnished by the assessee and has not given any opportunity
to the Assessing officer to examine the same. Moreover, the land in
question is a large chunk of land, a part of which may be agricultural land
or part of which may not be. The record submitted by the assessee requires
through scrutiny. We, therefore, restore this factual issue to the file of the
Assessing officer to examine the land records submitted by the assessee
including the ‘jamabandi’ / ‘Khasra Girdawari’ and also to conduct
necessary enquiries, if so required, to find out whether the entire land or
part thereof is agricultural land and if found so, then to allow the relief to
the assessee accordingly in accordance with law in the light of the
decisions of the Tribunal in the case of ‘Shri Satbir Vs. ITO & Ors’ (supra)
and in the case of ‘ ITO Vs. Sh. Nachhattar Singh and Ors’ (supra). This
ITA Nos. 399 & 740/Chd/2016 Sh. Varinder Singh, Panchkula 5
matter in both the appeals is therefore, restored to the file of the Assessing officer for adjudication afresh as directed above. In the result, both the appeals are treated as allowed for statistical purposes.
Order pronounced in the Open Court on 13.12.2018.
Sd/- Sd/- ( बी , आर . आर . कुमार / B.R.R. KUMAR) (संजय गग� / SANJAY GARG ) लेखा सद�य/ Accountant Member �या�यक सद�य /Judicial Member
Dated : 13.12. 2018 “आर.के.”
आदेश क� ��त�ल�प अ�े�षत/ Copy of the order forwarded to : 1. अपीलाथ�/ The Appellant 2. ��यथ�/ The Respondent 3. आयकर आयु�त/ CIT 4. आयकर आयु�त (अपील)/ The CIT(A) 5. �वभागीय ��त�न�ध, आयकर अपील�य आ�धकरण, च�डीगढ़/ DR, ITAT, CHANDIGARH 6. गाड� फाईल/ Guard File आदेशानुसार/ By order, सहायक पंजीकार/ Assistant Registrar