ITA NO.1383/KOL/2018 RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA A.Y.2014-15 1 IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL, BENCH SMC KOLKATA [BEFORE HONBLE SHRI J.SUDHAKAR REDDY, AM] ITA NO.1383/KOL/2018 ASSESSMENT YEAR : 2014-15 RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA -VERSUS- I.T.O., WARD-46(4), HOWRAH KOLKATA (PAN: ADVPD 0356 J) (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) FOR THE APPELLANT: SHRI S.S. GUPTA, FCA FOR THE RESPONDENT: SHRI SAURAV KUMAR, ADDL. CIT DATE OF HEARING : 27.09.2018 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 05.10.2018 ORDER THIS IS AN APPEAL FILED BY THE ASSESSEE DIRECTED AGAINST THE ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX-(A)-14, KOLKATA DATED 18.05.2018 PASSED U/S 250 OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 (THE ACT ) RELATING TO A.Y. 2014-15. 2. THE SOLE ISSUE THAT ARISES FOR MY ADJUDICATION IS WHETHER THE ASSESSING OFFICER WAS RIGHT IN REJECTING THE CLAIM OF THE ASSESSEE THAT HE HAD EARNED LONG TERM CAPITAL GAINS ON PURCHASE AND SALE OF THE SHARES OF M/S KAILASH AUTO FINANCE LTD. THE AO BASED ON A GENERAL REPORT AND MODUS OPERANDI ADOPTED GENERALLY IN THESE CASES AND ON GENERAL OBSERVATIONS HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE ASSESSEE HAS CLAIMED BOGUS LONG TERM CAPITAL GAIN. HE MADE AN ADDITION OF THE ENTIRE SALE PROCEEDS OF THE SHARES AS INCOME AND REJECTED THE CLAIM OF EXEMPTION MADE U/S 10(38) OF THE ACT. THE EVIDENCE PRODUCED BY THE ASSESSEE IN SUPPORT OF THE GENUINENESS OF THE TRANSACTION WAS REJECTED. 3. THE ASSESSEE CARRIED THE MATTER IN APPEAL AND THE LD. CIT(A)-14, KOLKATA, HAD UPHELD THE ADDITION. THE LD. CIT(A) HAS IN HIS ORDER RELIED UPON CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND HUMAN PROBABILITIES TO UPHOLD THE FINDINGS OF THE AO. HE ALSO RELIED ON THE SO CALLED RULES OF SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION. NO DIRECT MATERIAL WAS FOUND TO ITA NO.1383/KOL/2018 RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA A.Y.2014-15 2 CONTROVERT THE EVIDENCE FILED BY THE ASSESSEE, IN SUPPORT OF THE GENUINENESS OF THE TRANSACTIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE FILED BY THE ASSESSEE REMAINS UNCHALLENGED AND UNCONTROVERTED. THE ENTIRE CONCLUSIONS DRAWN BY THE REVENUE AUTHORITIES, ARE BASED ON A COMMON REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATION, KOLKATA, WHICH WAS GENERAL IN NATURE AND NOT SPECIFIC TO ANY ASSESSEE. THE ASSESSEE WAS NOT CONFRONTED WITH ANY STATEMENT OR MATERIAL ALLEGED TO BE THE BASIS OF THE REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION WING OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WHICH WERE THE BASIS ON WHICH CONCLUSION WERE DRAWN AGAINST THE ASSESSEE. COPY OF THE REPORT WAS ALSO NOT GIVEN. 4. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IN A NUMBER OF CASES THIS BENCH OF THE TRIBUNAL HAS CONSISTENTLY HELD THAT DECISION IN ALL SUCH CASES SHOULD BE BASED ON EVIDENCE AND NOT ON GENERALISATION, HUMAN PROBABILITIES, SUSPICION, CONJECTURES AND SURMISES. WE HAVE IN ALL CASES DELETED SUCH ADDITIONS. SOME OF THE CASES WHERE DETAILED FINDING WERE GIVEN ARE LISTED BELOW :- SL.NO ITA NOS. NAME OF THE ASSESSEE DATE OF ORDER /JUDGMENT 1. 1236-1237/K/17 ITAT - KOLKATA MANISH KUMAR BAID & OTHERS VS ACIT 18.08.2017 2 443/KOL/2017 KIRAN KOTHARI (HUF) VS ITO 15.11.2017 3. 22 OF 2009 CALCUTTA HIGH COURT CIT, KOLKATA-III VS BHAGWATI PRASAD AGARWAL 29.04.2009 4. 456 IF 2007 BOMBAY HIGH COURT CIT VS SHRI MUKHESH RATILAL MAROLIA 07.09.2011 5. 18 OF 2017 PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT PR. C.I.T. (CENTRAL)LUDHIANA VS SH.HITESH GANDHI, 16.02.2017 6. 95 OF 2017 PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT PR. C.I.T. VS PREM PAL GANDHI 18.01.2018. 7. 2281/KOL/2017 ITAT - KOLKATA NAVNEET AGARWAL, LEGAL HEIR OF LATE KIRAN AGARWAL VS ITO,WARD- 35(3),CALCUTTA 20.07.2018 ITA NO.1383/KOL/2018 RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA A.Y.2014-15 3 5. I AM BOUND BY THE PROPOSITION OF LAW LAID DOWN IN THIS CASE LAW. THEY ARE SQUARELY APPLICABLE TO THE FACTS OF THE CASE. THE LD. DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE, THOUGH NOT LEAVING HIS GROUND, COULD NOT CONTROVERT THE CLAIM OF THE LD. COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE THAT THE ISSUE IN QUESTION IS COVERED BY THE ABOVE CITED DECISIONS OF THE HONBLE HIGH COURTS AND THE ITAT. 6. THE LD. DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE RELIED ON THE JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE SUPREME COURT IN THE CASE OF SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA VS RAKHI TRADING PRIVATE LTD IN CIVIL APPEAL NO.1969 OF 2011 WITH CIVIL APPEAL NOS.3174- 3177 OF 2001 AND CIVIL APPEAL NO.3180 OF 2011. THE LD. COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE SUBMITS THAT THERE IS NO SURVIVING ORDER OF SEBI AGAINST THE ASSESSEE OR THE COMPANY, THE SCRIPT OF WHICH WAS PURCHASED AND SOLD BY THE ASSESSEE. WHEN THERE IS NO SURVIVING ADVERSE ORDER OF SEBI, DISPUTING THE CLAIM OF THE ASSESSEE, THE JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE SUPREME COURT CANNOT BE APPLIED TO THE FACTS OF THIS CASE. 7. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE DISCUSSION THE ADDITION IN QUESTION IS DELETED AND THE APPEAL OF THE ASSESSEE IS ALLOWED. 8. IN THE RESULT THE APPEAL OF THE ASSESSEE IS ALLOWED. O RDER PRONOUNCED IN THE COURT ON 05.10.2018 SD/- [ J.SUDHAKAR REDDY ] ACCOUNTANT MEMBER DATED : 05.10.2018 [BISWAJIT SR.PS] ITA NO.1383/KOL/2018 RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA A.Y.2014-15 4 COPY OF THE ORDER FORWARDED TO: 1.RAJESH KUMAR DHANANIA, 34/2, MADHUSUDAN PAL CHOWDHURY LANE, KADAMTALA, HOWRAH 711 101. 2. I.T.O., WARD-46(4), KOLKATA. 3. C.I.T.(A)- 14, KOLKATA 4. C.I.T-12, KOLKATA 5. CIT(DR), KOLKATA BENCHES, KOLKATA. TRUE COPY BY ORDER, SENIOR PRIVATE SECRETARY HEAD OF OFFICE/D.D.O, ITAT KOLKATA BENCHES