INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL DELHI BENCH B: NEW DELHI BEFORE SHRI SUDHANSHU SRIVASTAVA, JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI O.P. KANT, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ITA NO. 1130/DEL/2017 ASSTT. YEAR: 2012-13 O R D E R PER SUDHANSHU SRIVASTAVA, JM: THIS APPEAL PREFERRED BY THE ASSESSEE AGAINST ORDER DATED 6.1.2017 PASSED BY THE LD. CIT(APPEALS)-3 NEW DELHI. THE APPEAL PERTAINS TO ASSESSMENT YEAR 2012-13. E DAKSH MARKETING PVT. LTD. U-148, SHAKARPUR DELHI 110 092 PAN AABCE0648Q VS. ITO, WARD-8(1) NEW DELHI. (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) ASSESSEE BY: NONE DEPARTMENT BY : SHRI G. JOHNSON, SR. DR DATE OF HEARING 01/08 /201 9 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT 18 / 10 /2019 ITA NO. 1130/DEL/2017 E DAKSH MARKETING PVT. LTD. VS. ITO 2 2. NONE WAS PRESENT FOR THE ASSESSEE WHEN THE APPEAL WAS CALLED OUT FOR HEARING. NO ADJOURNMENT APPLICATION HAS ALSO BEEN RECEIVED IN THIS REGARD. HOWEVER WE FIND THAT THE NOTICE OF HEARING ISSUED BY THE REGISTRY OF TRIBUNAL HAS BEEN RETURNED UNSERVED. THEREFORE WE HAVE NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO PROCEED EX PARTE QUA THE ASSESSEE. 3. LD. SR. DR REFERRED TO THE ORDER OF THE LD. CIT(A) AND SUBMITTED THAT THE ASSESSEE DID NOT APPEAR EVEN BEFORE THE LD. CIT(A) AND THEREFORE IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ASSESSEE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE APPEAL. IT WAS SUBMITTED THAT THE ASSESSEES APPEAL BE DISMISSED AT THE THRESHOLD ITSELF FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. 4. WE HAVE HEARD THE SR. DR AND HAVE ALSO PERUSED THE IMPUGNED ORDER. IT IS APPARENT FROM THE PERUSAL OF THE ORDER THAT THE LD. CIT(A) HAS NOT ADJUDICATED THE ASSESSEES APPEAL ON MERITS BUT HAS DISMISSED IT FOR THE REASON OF NON APPEARANCE BEFORE HIM. IT IS SETTLED LAW THAT THE LD. FIRST APPELLATE AUTHORITY IS REQUIRED TO ADJUDICATE THE ISSUES BEFORE HIM ON MERITS EVEN IN ABSENCE OF THE APPELLANT. ACCORDINGLY, IN VIEW OF THE DISMISSAL OF THE ASSESSEES APPEAL BY THE LD. FIRST APPELLATE AUTHORITY FOR THE REASON OF NON APPEARANCE / NON PROSECUTION, WE RESTORE THIS FILE ITA NO. 1130/DEL/2017 E DAKSH MARKETING PVT. LTD. VS. ITO 3 BACK TO THE OFFICE OF THE LD. CIT(A) WITH THE DIRECTION TO PASS THE APPELLATE ORDER ON MERITS AFTER GIVING DUE OPPORTUNITY TO THE ASSESSEE TO PRESENT ITS CASE. 5. IN THE FINAL RESULT APPEAL OF THE ASSESSEE STANDS ALLOWED FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 18 TH OCTOBER, 2019. SD/- SD/- (O.P. KANT) (SUDHANSHU SRIVASTAVA) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER JUDICIAL MEMBER DATED: 18.10.2019 VEENA COPY FORWARDED TO 1. APPLICANT 2. RESPONDENT 3. CIT 4. CIT (A) 5. DR:ITAT ASSISTANT REGISTRAR ITAT, NEW DELHI