ITO, New Delhi V. Sh. Rohit Valecha, New Delhi

ITA 1408/DEL/2012

• Counselvise Citation: [2014] 120 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 7440 (ITAT-DELHI)
• Duration Of Justice: 2 year(s) 9 month(s) 5 day(s)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 31-12-2014
• Appeal Filed By: Department
• Order Result: Dismissed
• Bench Allotted: F
• Next Hearing Date: 31-12-2014
• Assessment Year: 2007-2008
• Appeal Filed On: 26-03-2012
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: VIKRAM SAHAI
• Assessee Lawyers: K L ANEJA
• Keywords: Unexplained cash credit; Retrospective amendment; Tax effect
• Section: 68

Judgement Text

IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL DELHI BENCH F , NEW DELHI BEFORE SHRI N. K. SAINI, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER & SHRI H.S. SIDHU, JUDICIAL MEMBER ITA NO . 1408 /DEL/201 2 ASSESSMENT YEAR: 2007 - 08 ITO, VS. ROHIT VALECHA , WARD 25 (1), 153, CHA NDERLOK, ROOM NO. 304 - A, PITAMPURA, D - BLOCK, VIKAS BHAWAN, DELHI. NEW DELHI. PAN: ACRPV7183L (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) APPELLANT BY : SH. VIKRAM SAHAI, SR. DR RESPONDENT BY : SH. K.L. ANEJA, ADV. ORDER PER H.S. SI DHU, J.M. THIS APPEAL BY THE DEPARTMENT IS DIRECTED AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 16 /0 1 /201 2 OF L D. CIT(A) - XI X , NEW DELHI. 2. THE GROUNDS RAISED IN THE APPEAL OF THE DEPARTMENT READ AS UNDER: 1. ON THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE, THE CIT(A) ERRED IN DE LETING THE ADDITION OF RS. 11,35,000/ - BEING UNEXPLAINED CASH CREDIT U/S. 68 OF THE I.T. ACT, 1961. 2. ON THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE, THE CIT(A) HAD ERRED IN HOLDING THAT PEAK AMOUNT OF CASH TRANSACTIONS SHOULD BE ADDED EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSACTI ONS REMAINED UNEXPLAINED. 3. SET ASIDE THE ORDER OF THE CIT(A) AND RESTORE THE MATTER BACK TO THE AO TO RE - EXAMINE EVIDENCES IN A HOLISTIC MANNER. THE APPELLANT CRAVES THE RIGHT TO ADD ANY OTHER GROUND OF APPEAL. CERTIFIED THAT THE COPY OF THE ORDER OF THE CIT(A) - XIX, NEW DELHI WAS COMMUNICATED TO ME ON 09.2.2012. ITA NO. 1408/ D EL /20 12 (ITO VS. ROHIT VALECHA) 2 3. DURING THE COURSE OF HEARING, LD. COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE AT THE VERY OUTSET STATED THAT THE TAX EFFECT IN THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS. 4,00,000/ - , THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT OUGHT NOT TO HAVE FILED THIS APPEAL IN VIEW OF THE CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE CBDT AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THE SECTION 268A OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 (HEREINAFTER TO BE REFERRED AS THE ACT). 4. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE LD. DR ALTHOUGH SUPPORTED THE ORDER OF AO, BUT COULD NOT CONTROVERT THIS FACT THAT THE TAX EFFECT IN THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS. 4,00,000/ - . 5. AFTER CONSIDERING THE SUBMISSIONS OF BOTH THE PARTIES AND THE MATERIAL ON RECORD, IT IS NOTICED THAT SECTION 268A HAS BEEN INSERTED BY THE FINANCE ACT, 2008 WITH RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT FROM 01/04/1999. THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 268A READ AS UNDER: 268A. (1) THE BOARD MAY, FROM TIME TO TIME, ISSUE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS TO OTHER INCOME - TAX AUTHORITIES, FIXING SUCH MONETARY LIMIT S AS IT MAY DEEM FIT, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGULATING FILING OF APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE BY ANY INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER. (2) WHERE, IN PURSUANCE OF THE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1), AN INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY HAS NOT FILED ANY APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE ON ANY ISSUE IN THE CASE OF AN ASSESSEE FOR ANY ASSESSMENT YEAR, IT SHALL NOT PRECLUDE SUCH AUTHORITY FROM FILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE ON THE SAME ISSUE IN THE CASE OF (A) THE SAME ASSESSEE FOR ANY OTHER ASSESSMENT YEAR; OR (B) ANY OTHER ASSESSEE FOR THE SAME OR ANY OTHER ASSESSMENT YEAR; (3) NOTWITHSTANDING THAT NO APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE HAS BEEN FILED BY AN INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE ORDERS OR INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1), IT SHALL NOT BE LAWFUL FOR AN ASSESSEE, BEING A PARTY IN ANY APPEAL OR REFERENCE, TO CONTEND THAT THE INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY HAS ACQUIESCED IN THE DECISION ON THE DISPUTED ISSUE BY NOT F ILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE IN ANY CASE. (4) THE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OR COURT, HEARING SUCH APPEAL OR REFERENCE, SHALL HAVE REGARD TO THE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1) AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH SUC H APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE WAS FILED OR NOT FILED IN RESPECT OF ANY CASE. (5) EVERY ORDER, INSTRUCTION OR DIRECTION WHICH HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE BOARD FIXING MONETARY LIMITS FOR FILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION ITA NO. 1408/ D EL /20 12 (ITO VS. ROHIT VALECHA) 3 FOR REFERENCE SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1) AND THE PROVISIONS OF SUB - SECTIONS (2), (3) AND (4) SHALL APPLY ACCORDINGLY. 6. IT IS NOT IN DISPUTE THAT T HE BOARD S INSTRUCTION OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED TO THE OTHER INCOME - TAX AUTHORITIES ARE BINDING ON THOSE AUTHORI TIES, THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT OUGHT NOT TO HAVE FILED THE APPEAL IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SECTION 268A SINCE THE TAX EFFECT IN THE INSTANT CASE IS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT PRESCRIBED FOR NOT FILING THE APPEAL. 7. IT IS NOTICED THAT THE CBDT HAS ISSUED INSTRUCTION NO. 5/2014 DATED 10 TH JULY, 2014, BY WHICH THE CBDT HAS REVISED THE MONETARY LIMIT TO RS. 4,00,000/ - FOR FILING THE APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. 8. KEEPING IN VIEW THE CBDT INSTRUCTION NO. 5 OF 2014 DATED 10 TH JULY, 2014 AND ALSO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 268A OF INCOME TAX ACT, 1961 , WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE REVENUE SHOULD NOT HAVE FILED THE INSTANT APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. WHILE TAKING SUCH A VIEW, WE ARE FORTIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING DECISIONS OF THE HON BLE PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT: 1. C IT VS. OSCAR LABORATORIES P. LTD. (2010) 324 ITR 115 (P&H); 2. CIT VS. ABINASH GUPTA (2010) 327 ITR 619 (P&H); 3. CIT VS. VARINDERA CONSTRUCTION CO. (2011) 331 ITR 449 (P&H) (FB). 9. SIMILARLY, THE HON BLE DELHI HIGH COURT IN THE CASE OF CIT VS. DELHI RACE CLUB LTD. IN ITA NO. 128/2008, ORDER DATED 03.03.2011 BY FOLLOWING THE EARLIER ORDER DATED 02.08.2010 IN ITA NO. 179/1991 IN THE CASE OF CIT DELHI - III VS. M/S P.S. JAIN & CO. HELD THAT SUCH CIRCULAR WOULD ALSO BE APPLICABLE TO PENDING CASES. 10. THUS, FROM THE RATIO LAID DOWN BY THE HON BL DELHI HIGH COURT, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED IN THE CIRCULARS BY CBDT ARE APPLICABLE FOR PENDING CASES ALSO. THEREFORE, BY KEEPING IN VIEW THE RATIO LAID DOWN IN THE AFORESAID REFERRED TO CASE, WE ARE OF THE CO NSIDERED VIEW THAT INSTRUCTION NO. 5 OF 2014 DATED 10 TH JULY, 2014 ISSUED BY THE CBDT ARE APPLICABLE FOR THE PENDING CASES ALSO AND IN THE SAID INSTRUCTIONS, MONETARY TAX LIMIT FOR NOT FILING THE APPEAL BEFORE THE ITAT IS RS. 4,00,000/ - . ITA NO. 1408/ D EL /20 12 (ITO VS. ROHIT VALECHA) 4 11. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WITHOUT GOING INTO MERIT OF THE CASE, WE DISMISS THE APPEAL FILED BY THE REVENUE. 12. IN THE RESULT, APPEAL OF THE REVENUE IS DISMISSED. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 31 /12/2014 , UPON CONCLUSION OF HEARING. SD/ - SD/ - ( N.K. SAINI ) ( H.S. SIDHU ) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER JUDICIAL MEMBER DATED: 31 /12/2014 * SR BHATNAGAR* COPY FORWARDED TO: - 1. APPELLANT 2. RESPONDENT 3. CIT 4. CIT(A) 5. DR, ITAT TRUE COPY BY ORDER, ASSISTANT REG ISTRAR ITA NO. 1408/ D EL /20 12 (ITO VS. ROHIT VALECHA) 5