2024 (6) TMI 1304 - HC - Income Tax

Validity of order under the Black Money Act - limited relief requested for is to grant 45 days' time to obtain and provide the bank statement - petitioner was called upon to provide documents, including bank statements relating to the petitioner's account with DBS Bank and the said bank account was closed a along time ago - HELD THAT - The relief requested for by the petitioner is limited to granting 45 days' time to provide all documents called for by the first respondent. Such request is made by stating that the petitioner's son has travelled to Singapore to obtain the statement from the DBS Bank and that this process is taking up time because the bank account was closed a long time ago. The reason set out by the petitioner appears to be reasonable. WP disposed by directing the first respondent to consider and grant the request for 45 days' time to provide all documents and information requested for by the first respondent.

Summary

Issues involved:
Petitioner appealing against an order under the Black Money Act for not providing bank statements within the stipulated time.

Analysis:
The petitioner appealed against an order issued under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and the imposition of Income-tax Act, 2015 for not providing bank statements related to their account with DBS Bank within the specified time. The petitioner requested 45 days to obtain the bank statement, citing that the account was closed long ago. The writ petition was filed due to the apprehension that the first respondent might not grant the requested time.

The petitioner's counsel requested a limited relief of 45 days to provide all documents called for by the first respondent. The petitioner's son had traveled to Singapore to obtain the bank statement from DBS Bank, which was taking time due to the account closure. The respondent's counsel accepted notice, and it was acknowledged that the petitioner's reason for the delay seemed reasonable.

Consequently, the High Court disposed of the writ petition by directing the first respondent to consider and grant the petitioner's request for 45 days to provide all the necessary documents and information. The judgment did not include any order as to costs, and the connected miscellaneous petition was also closed.