Issues involved: Registration under section 12AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961, rejection of application, violation of principles of natural justice.
Summary: The appellant, a charitable society, applied for registration under section 12A of the Income-tax Act, 1961, which was rejected by the respondent. The society sought to quash the rejection and obtain a writ of mandamus for registration under section 12AA. The main contention was that the society should not have been required to demonstrate charitable work in its first year of operation. It was also argued that there was a violation of natural justice in rejecting the application based on an enquiry report without full disclosure. The court found that the society was given an opportunity to be heard and that the report contents were made known to the society's representative. The court noted that the society had not engaged in charitable activities during the relevant period, focusing instead on income generation for its members. The rejection was deemed lawful, but the society was given the option to reapply when engaging in charitable work. The court upheld the rejection, stating that the society had only reached the initial application stage under section 12AA, and not fulfilling the conditions for registration under section 12A. The appeal was dismissed, finding no merit in the arguments presented.
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