M/S. HARDEV CONSTRUCTION PVT. LTD., ,KOLKATA V. DCIT, CIRCLE 11(1), , KOLKATA

ITA 408/KOL/2025

AI Insights

The case involves an appeal by Jaydeb Pal against the order of the CIT(A), National Faceless Appeal Centre, Delhi, concerning the assessment year 2016-2017. The primary contention was the invalidity of the approval for issuing a notice under section 148 of the Income Tax Act, which was crucial for reopening the assessment. The assessee argued that the notice was issued with the approval of the wrong authority (Pr.PCIT instead of Pr.CCIT), which is a legal issue that does not require verification of facts and can be raised at any stage of the proceedings. The Tribunal, referencing decisions from the Supreme Court and other High Courts, agreed with the assessee and quashed the reassessment proceedings.

• Counselvise Citation: [2025] 140 COUNSELVISE.COM (IT) 772404 (ITAT-KOLKATA)
• Appeal Type: Income Tax Appeal
• Pronouncement Date: 26-08-2025
• Appeal Filed By: Assessee
• Order Result: Allowed
• Assessment Year: 2016-2017
• Other Referred Cases: Ashish Agarwal, NTPC, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Rajeev Bansal, Shri Devang Ajit Jhaveri, Sakshi Ratneshchand Jain, Kusum Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Chandrakant Viththal Bhopi
• Laws Referred To: Income Tax Act
• Result in Favour of: Assessee
• Court: TRIBUNAL
• Department Lawyers: DIPU KOLEY; ADL.
• Assessee Lawyers: SUNIL SURANA
• Keywords: Condonation of delay; Reassessment proceedings; Unexplained cash credit
• Section: 2

Judgement Text

" IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL “C” BENCH, KOLKATA BEFORE SHRI RAJESH KUMAR, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER AND SHRI PRADIP KUMAR CHOUBEY, JUDICIAL MEMBER आयकर अपील सं/ITA No.408/KOL/2025 (निर्धारण वर्ा / Assessment Year : 2016-2017) Jaydeb Pal, Maa Durga Enterprise, Basirhat College, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal-743412 Vs ITO, Ward-49(1), Kolkata PAN No. :AGKPP 6711 D (अपीलधर्थी /Appellant) .. (प्रत्यर्थी / Respondent) निर्धाररती की ओर से /Assessee by : Shri Sunil Surana, AR रधजस्व की ओर से /Revenue by : Shri Dipu Koley, Adl.CIT-Sr.DR सुनवाई की तारीख / Date of Hearing : 24/07/2025 घोषणा की तारीख/Date of Pronouncement : 26.08.2025 आदेश / O R D E R Per Rajesh Kumar, AM : This is an appeal filed by the assessee against the order dated 11.07.2024, passed by the ld. CIT(A), National Faceless Appeal Centre, Delhi, for the assessment year 2016-2017. 2. The appeal of the assessee is barred by 148 days. In this regard, the assessee has filed an application for condonation of delay supported with an affidavit stating therein sufficient reasons for delay, which are plausible and bonafide. Ld. Sr. DR also did not raise any objection to condone the delay. Accordingly, delay of 148 days in filing the present appeal by the assessee is condoned and the appeal is admitted for hearing. 3. The only issue pressed at the time of hearing by the ld. Counsel of the assessee is against the invalid approval accorded for issuing notice Printed from counselvise.com ITA No.408/KOL/2025 2 u/s.148 of the Act by the ld.Pr.CIT instead of ld. Pr.CCIT and, therefore, the entire proceedings are invalid and nullity in the eyes of law. 4. Facts in brief are that the case of the assessee was reopened on 28.06.2021 under the old regime and after the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Ashish Agarwal, reported in [2022] SCC Online SC 543, the Assessing Officer issued notice u/s.148A(b) of the Act on 29.05.2022 and finally the assessment was reopened on 25.07.2022 vide notice issued u/s.148 of the Act. A copy of which is available at pages 1 to 3 of the paper book, which was issued beyond a period of three years from the end of the assessment year. The assessment was completed u/s.147 r.w.s.144 of the Act, wherein the Assessing Officer had added back Rs.79,75,000/- as unexplained cash credit u/s.68 of the Act. The said order was also confirmed by the ld. CIT(A) when the assessee did not make any representation before the appellate authority. 5. Ld.Counsel of the assessee submitted that the ground has not been raised before the Assessing Officer and the ld. CIT(A), however, this being legal issue which does not require any verification of facts on any account whatsoever and, therefore, the assessee is within his legitimate and lawful rights to raise this issue before the Tribunal. In this regard, ld. counsel relied on the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of NTPC, reported in 229 ITR 383, wherein it has been held that legal argument can be raised at any stage of the proceedings. The ld. Counsel relied on the decision of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the case of Kansai Nerolac Paints, reported in 364 ITR 632 (Bombay High Court), Printed from counselvise.com ITA No.408/KOL/2025 3 wherein it has been held that the Tribunal should decide the legal issue instead of remanding the matter to the Assessing Officer. Ld. counsel therefore submitted that the grounds may be admitted and adjudicated. 6. After hearing the rival contentions and perusing the material available on record, we find that the issue raised by the assessee is purely a legal issue which goes to the root of the matter and the assessee is also within its legitimate rights to challenge such issue by raising the same before us which is in consonance of the ratio laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in the case of NTPC (supra). Moreover, the case of the assessee finds supports from the decision of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the case of Kansai Nerolac Paints (supra), wherein it has been held that the legal issue raised by the assessee for the first time should not be remanded to the file of Assessing Officer and it should be decided by the Tribunal. Accordingly, we decide the legal issue raised for the first time before us. 7. Admittedly, the case of the assessee has been reopened after a period of three years from the end of the assessment year and, therefore, the sanction of ld. Pr.CCIT was to be obtained for issuing notice u/s.148 of the Act and not the ld. Pr.CIT whose approval had been obtained for issuance of notice. Therefore, the reopening of the assessment on the basis of the said notice is not sustainable in the eyes of law. The issue is no more res integra, as the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Rajeev Bansal, reported in 469 ITR 46 (SC) has held vide para 114(d)k that it is the Pr.CCIT who should grant sanction u/s.151 of the Act since the Printed from counselvise.com ITA No.408/KOL/2025 4 reopening is after three years. We also note that the said decision of the Hon’ble Apex Court has been followed in series of decisions by the various Tribunal and Hon’ble High Courts. Some of the decisions wherein the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court has been followed, as under :- i) Shri Devang Ajit Jhaveri, ITA No.3509/Mum/2024, dated 29.01.2025 (AY : 2016-2017); ii) Sakshi Ratneshchand Jain, ITA No.1741/Mum/2024, dated 10.02.2025 (AY : 2016-2017); iii) Kusum Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., order dated 05.03.2025 (AY: 2016- 2017)(Delhi High Court); iv) Chandrakant Viththal Bhopi, ITA No.2405/Pune/2024, dated 07.05.2025 (AY : 2016-2017). 8. In view of the above, we are inclined to hold that the notice u/s.148 of the Act issued by the Assessing Officer is invalid and accordingly, the reassessment proceedings are quashed. Thus, the appeal of the assessee is allowed. 9. In the result, appeal of the assessee is allowed. Order pronounced in the open court on 26/08/2025. Sd/- (PRADIP KUMAR CHOUBEY) Sd/- (RAJESH KUMAR) न्यधनयक सदस्य / JUDICIAL MEMBER लेखा सदस्य/ ACCOUNTANT MEMBER कोलकाता Kolkata; ददनाांक Dated 26/08/2025 Prakash Kumar Mishra, Sr.P.S. आदेश की प्रनतललपप अग्रेपर्त/Copy of the Order forwarded to : sआदेशधिुसधर/ BY ORDER, (Assistant Registrar) Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Kolkata 1. अपीलार्थी / The Appellant- 2. प्रत्यर्थी / The Respondent- 3. आयकर आयुक्त(अपील) / The CIT(A), 4. आयकर आयुक्त / CIT 5. विभागीय प्रविविवि, आयकर अपीलीय अविकरण, कोलकाता / DR, ITAT, Kolkata 6. गार्ड फाईल / Guard file. सत्यापपत प्रतत //True Copy// Printed from counselvise.com "