The grievance of the revenue is that the mistake ought to have been rectified by filing a revised return of income. The Tribunal held that the time to file a revised return had expired. In any event, it is not disputed that it was a bonafide mistake on the part of the respondent-assessee. In that view of the matter, imposition of penalty was not warranted.
It is not in dispute that the members of the petitioner-Association are authorized by the port authorities constituted under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 to provide such services. It is also not in dispute that without such authorization, such services could not be rendered by them. In fact, the petitioners have produced on record, a licence issued by port authorities authorizing the petitioners to provide such services.
On going through the said record we find that the Additional Director General, in his proceedings/orders dated 15-2-2011 has recorded that on the basis of the various searches conducted at various premises of manufacturers, godowns and dealers of various cigarette manufacturers in the country, different brands of cigarettes which were kept without any duty paying documents were seized. Huge stock of cigarettes of various brands manufactured by the petitioner without any duty paying documents were also found during the searches at Coimbatore etc. and were placed under seizure. In view of seizures of non-duty paid cigarette manufactured by the petitioner, a decision was taken to search the petitioner’s premises immediately to resume incriminating records.
We have perused the balance sheet of the company placed on record. Year after year company continued to incur huge loss. Balance sheet suggests that there is no manufacturing or other activity being undertaken by the company and with each successive year, accumulated loss swell. In fact net profit of the company is in negative since long. All these would demonstrate that the petitioners have no means of fulfilling the pre-deposit condition.
Counsel for the respondent is right in relying on sub-sections (5) and (6) of section 35EE to point out that in case the Central Government suo motu decides to issue notice to the assessee to enhance the penalty or fine or duty and after hearing the assessee decides to drop the proceedings, no grant of any opportunity to the Commissioner of Central Excise or any other officer executing the Act is envisaged.
It cannot be denied that the respondent is estopped from raising any plea against the averments made in the counter and the confirmation of balance, for which supporting documents have been produced. The respondent has not disputed the genuineness of the supporting documents. In addition to the admission made by the respondent, the petitioner has produced various invoices-cum-delivery chalan for the supply of goods and materials to the respondent on various dates as stated in the petition and also produced statement of outstanding bills.
A petition for winding up can be maintained at the behest of a creditor, whether secured or unsecured. This is evident from the provisions of section 439(1)(d). Under sub-section (2) of section 439, among others, a secured creditor is to be deemed to be a creditor within the meaning of clause (b) of sub section (1).
The alternative prayer that RLB should be directed to be wound up, since its entire substratum has disappeared, will require a detailed examination of several relevant factors, all of which are not before the Court. Nothing precludes RLB from seeking winding up in accordance with law in appropriate proceedings by placing the full facts before the Court which can then be responded to by the OL, the RD and other interested parties including creditors. Given the pleadings in the present application, it is not possible to undertake that exercise at this stage.
Parliament amended Explanation 1 to section 234B by the Finance Act, 2006 with effect from April 1, 2007 to provide along with tax deducted or collected at source, the MAT credit under section 115JAA also to be excluded while calculating assessed tax.
The Tribunal recorded findings that the assessee had produced the return of income filed by the relevant shareholders who had paid share application money. The assessee had also produced the confirmation of share holders indicating the details of addresses, PAN and particulars of cheques through which the amount was paid towards the share application money.