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Issues: Determination of ownership of gold recovered from an individual for income tax assessment under section 69A of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Analysis: The case involved the recovery of 220 tolas of gold from an individual, which was deemed as the income of the assessee for the financial year. The Tribunal held that the Revenue failed to prove the ownership of the gold by the assessee, despite the recovery being from his possession. The Tribunal deleted the addition of the gold value based on the lack of proof of ownership by the Department. However, the High Court opined that possession of an item creates a presumption of ownership under section 110 of the Evidence Act, 1872. The onus to disclaim ownership lies on the possessor. In this case, as the assessee was found in possession of the gold while traveling, it was inferred that he was the owner unless he rebutted the presumption, which he failed to do. The High Court disagreed with the Tribunal's decision to place the onus on the Department to prove ownership, citing the Supreme Court's decision in a similar case (Chuharmal v. CIT [1988] 172 ITR 250) where the onus was on the assessee to disprove ownership. The High Court further explained that the term "income" under section 69A of the Income-tax Act has a broad meaning, encompassing anything resulting in gain. Referring to a Supreme Court decision, it was established that possession of items like wristwatches could be deemed as income if not explained satisfactorily. In this case, the assessee's possession of the gold without a satisfactory explanation led to the conclusion that the gold was indeed his income, as per section 69A of the Act. Therefore, the High Court answered both questions in favor of the Revenue, stating that the Tribunal erred in holding that the onus of proving ownership of the gold lay on the Department and in concluding that the addition representing the gold value could not be sustained under section 69A of the Act. No costs were awarded in the judgment.
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