2008 (8) TMI 800 - HC - Income Tax

Notice for reassessment challenged - Held that - It is the attempt of the Department to somehow or the other reopen the proceedings and more particularly the block assessment which they could not successfully support and sustain right up to this Court. That this is the attempt which is apparent from the notices and, therefore, the reasons which are relied upon fail to indicate any escapement or concealment of income by the assessee or suppression of any material facts by him. Therefore, they do not meet the required satis-faction under section 147 of the Income-tax Act. In fact, this is an instance identical to the one before the Hon ble Supreme Court in the case of Rao Thakur Narayan Singh (1964 (10) TMI 17 - SUPREME Court). W.P. allowed.

Issues Involved:
1. Legality of the notices issued under Section 148 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
2. Jurisdiction of the Assessing Officer under Section 147 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
3. Allegations of bias and mala fide intent by the tax authorities.
4. Compliance with procedural requirements for reopening assessments.
5. Validity of the reasons provided for reopening assessments.
6. Impact of previous block assessment proceedings on current notices.

Issue-wise Detailed Analysis:

1. Legality of the Notices Issued under Section 148 of the Income-tax Act, 1961:
The petitioners sought a declaration that the notices dated 13-12-1999 issued under Section 148 were illegal, null, and void. The notices stated that the Assessing Officer had reason to believe that the petitioners' income chargeable to tax had escaped assessment. However, the petitioners contended that the notices did not disclose any specific reasons for reopening the assessments and were merely a means to bypass the adjudication by the Tribunal and the High Court.

2. Jurisdiction of the Assessing Officer under Section 147 of the Income-tax Act, 1961:
The petitioners argued that the prerequisites for exercising jurisdiction under Section 147 were not met. They contended that the mandatory prerequisites act as a safeguard against arbitrary exercise of power by the authorities. The petitioners emphasized that the income had already been assessed in the block assessment proceedings, and the Department's appeal under Section 260A was dismissed. Therefore, reopening the assessments under Section 147 was impermissible.

3. Allegations of Bias and Mala Fide Intent by the Tax Authorities:
The petitioners alleged that the search and seizure proceedings were initiated due to bias by a specific officer, Mr. Kanekar, who was instrumental in harassing the petitioners. They claimed that Mr. Kanekar was involved in the issuance of the notices and later approved them after his promotion. The petitioners argued that this bias and mala fide intent rendered the notices invalid.

4. Compliance with Procedural Requirements for Reopening Assessments:
The petitioners contended that the reasons provided for reopening the assessments were inadequate. They argued that the reasons merely reiterated the language of the statute without providing specific details of income escaping assessment. The petitioners emphasized that the reasons must be reasonable and based on concrete facts, not mere suspicions or assumptions.

5. Validity of the Reasons Provided for Reopening Assessments:
The reasons provided in the order sheets indicated that during the search and seizure operations, certain unaccounted assets were found. However, the petitioners argued that these reasons did not meet the legal requirements for invoking Section 147. They contended that the reasons failed to establish a reasonable belief that income had escaped assessment.

6. Impact of Previous Block Assessment Proceedings on Current Notices:
The petitioners highlighted that the block assessment proceedings had already been quashed by the Tribunal, and the Department's appeal was dismissed. They argued that the income had already been assessed and taxed in the block assessment proceedings, and the current notices were an attempt to reopen settled matters. The court agreed, stating that the reasons provided in the notices did not indicate any new information or facts that would justify reopening the assessments.

Conclusion:
The court concluded that the notices issued under Section 148 were invalid as they did not meet the mandatory prerequisites for reopening assessments under Section 147. The court found that the reasons provided were inadequate and failed to establish a reasonable belief that income had escaped assessment. Additionally, the court noted that the previous block assessment proceedings had already settled the matter, and reopening the assessments was impermissible. Therefore, the court allowed the petition and quashed the impugned notices.

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