Case Law Details
Jitender Kumar Garg Vs DCIT (ITAT Delhi)
Once the foundational jurisdiction is lacking, the additions made by AO do not survive for adjudication- 153A Assessments Quashed for Invalid & Mechanical Approval u/s 153D
In this consolidated decision involving six appeals, Delhi Bench examined the core jurisdictional challenge raised by Assessee against assessments framed u/s 153A subsequent to a search conducted on 06.06.2018. Assessee contended that the assessments were void because the approval u/s 153D, which is a mandatory statutory precondition for framing assessments in search cases, was issued in a mechanical & perfunctory manner. The approval reproduced in the order revealed that Addl. CIT had issued a single, composite sanction covering all years together, without recording any independent reasoning, without demonstrating examination of the draft orders, & without year-wise satisfaction as required by law. Assessee relied on the decisions in Millenium Vinimay (ITAT Delhi), PCIT Vs Shiv Kumar Nayyar (Del HC), Ashok Commercial Enterprises (Bom HC) & also Tribunal’s own decision in Assessee’s case for AY 2013-14 dated 29.09.2025, all holding that mechanical approval vitiates the assessment.
Tribunal observed that the statutory mandate of s.153D obligates the superior authority to apply an independent mind for each assessment year, since every year constitutes a separate assessment unit. The record however showed that a single blanket approval was granted for multiple years, which by itself indicated non-application of mind. Tribunal also noted jurisprudence from the jurisdictional High Court that approval u/s 153D cannot be reduced to a ritualistic formality, especially when granted for several cases or several years on the same day, without any material indicating scrutiny of the draft orders. Tribunal held that such an approval is invalid, arbitrary, mechanical & dehors the requirement of law. Consequently, the assessments framed on the basis of such defective approval are rendered non-est. Tribunal therefore quashed the assessments for all six years, holding that once the foundational jurisdiction is lacking, the additions made by AO do not survive for adjudication. All appeals were accordingly partly allowed with the substantive legal ground decided in favour of the Assessee.
FULL TEXT OF THE ORDER OF ITAT DELHI
1. These appeals are filed by the assessee against the order of ld. Commissioner of Income-tax Appeals-3, Gurgaon [hereinafter referred to as ‘ld. CIT (A)] dated 25.11.2024 for Assessment Years 2014-15 to 2019-20.
2. Since the issues are common and the appeals are connected, hence the same are heard together and being disposed off by this common order. First, we take up AY 2014-15 as the lead case.
3. The assessee has taken the following grounds of appeal in AY 2014-15 :-
“1. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT (A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of Ld. A.O. in assuming jurisdiction u/s 153A and framing the impugned assessment order which is bad in law and against the facts and circumstances of the case and void-ab-initio and basic jurisdictional conditions and pre-requisites under section 153A were not met.
2. That in any case and in any view of the matter, the assessment framed under section 153A of the Act, is bad in law and against the facts and circumstances of the case.
3. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in making an addition of Rs.21,16,126/- allegedly on account of suppression of professional receipts and that too by recording incorrect facts and findings and without any basis, material or evidence and without observing the principles of natural justice and by disregarding the submissions, evidences and material placed on record by the assessee and without providing the adverse material on record and without any incriminating material found as a result of search warranting such addition and merely on the basis of surmises and conjectures.
4. That in any case and in any view of the matter, action of Ld. CIT(A) in confirming the addition ofRs.21,16,126/- is bad in law and against the facts and circumstances of the case.
5. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in making addition of Rs.10,00,000/- as alleged unexplained credits u/s 68 of the Act and that too by recording incorrect facts and findings and without any basis, material or evidence and without observing the principles of natural justice and by disregarding the submissions, evidences and material placed on record by the assessee and without providing the adverse material on record and without any incriminating material found as a result of search warranting such addition and merely on the basis of surmises and conjectures.
6. That in any case and in any view of the matter, action of Ld. CIT(A) in confirming the addition of Rs.10,00,000/- is bad in law and against the facts and circumstances of the case.
7. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in treating the salary income of Rs.11,27,028/-, which was duly mentioned in the return of income, as alleged income from unexplained sources and that too by recording incorrect facts and findings and without any basis, material or evidence and without observing the principles of natural justice and by disregarding the submissions, evidences and material placed on record by the assessee and without providing the adverse material on record and without any incriminating material found as a result of search warranting such addition.
8. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in making the impugned additions and passing the impugned assessment order dated 30.05.2021 which is illegal, bad in law, void ab-initio and against the and circumstances of the case and in gross violation of principles of natural justice and barred by limitation also
9. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in passing the impugned assessment order obtained approval u/s 153D is without DIN and hence is bad in law and thus, Assessment Order passed is “without the valid approval u/s 153D”, more so in view of CBDT Circular No. 19/2019, dated 14.08.2019 & also Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the case of Ashok Commercial Enterprises vs. ACIT dated 04.09.2023 & other High Court decisions.
10. That having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, Ld. CIT(A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Ld. A.O. in passing the impugned assessment order without there being requisite approval in terms of section 153D and in any case approval if any is mechanical and without application of mind and is no approval in the eyes of law.”
4. Before deciding the legal issue in dispute, we may gainfully reproduce the approval u/s. 153D of the Income Tax Act (for short ‘the Act’), which read as under:-
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9. At the time of hearing, Ld. AR of the assessee submitted that ld. CIT (A) has erred in law and on facts in confirming the action of the Assessing Officer in passing the impugned assessment order obtained approval u/s 153D is without DIN and hence is bad in law and thus, assessment order passed is without the valid approval u/s 153D, more so in view of CBDT Circular No.19/2019 dated 14.08.2019 and Hon’ble Bombay High Court in the case of Ashok Commercial Enterprises vs. ACIT dated 04.09.2023 and other High Court decisions. He further submitted that the common approval u/s 153D is void, which is reproduced by us above. In this regard, he relied on various judgments including ITAT Delhi Bench decision viz. M/s Millenium Vinimay (P) Ltd. vs. ACIT, ITA No.458/Del/2022 dated 31.5.2024 and Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court decision in the case of PCIT vs. Shiv Kumar Nayyar in ITA No. 285/2024 (Del), dated 15.05.2024 and submitted that by following the ratio of the aforesaid two case laws, the legal issue involved in the instant appeal may be allowed. Ld. AR further submitted that coordinate Bench has decided the issue in assessee’s own case in AY 2013-14 in ITA No.6124/Del/2024 vide order dated 29.09.2025 in favour of the assessee holding that, “Coming to the assessee’s instant appeal, we note at the outset that the learned departmental authorities had conducted the search in question in assessee’s case on 06.06.2018 leading to initiation of section 152A proceeding finally culminating in the Assessing Officer’s assessment framed on 30.05.2021 making the addition(s) in question, there could be hardly any dispute that we are dealing with an “unabated” assessment as on the date of search wherein any addition has to be made in the assessee’s hands based on the specific seized material only as per PCIT vs. Abhisar Buildwell P. Ltd. (2023) 454 ITR 212 (SC)”. Accordingly, he pleaded that the appeals of the assessee may be allowed.
10. Per contra, ld. DR of the Revenue relied upon the orders of the authorities below and objected to the submissions of the ld. AR. He submitted that the approval u/s 153D of the Act is administrative approval. The procedure to approval process has no relevance to the assessee and his proceedings.
11. Considered the rival submissions and material placed on record. We have especially perused the approval granted u/s. 153D of the Act and the case laws cited by the ld. AR in the paper book.
12. We find that ITAT Delhi Bench in the case of M/s Millenium Vinimay (P) Ltd. vs. ACIT, (supra) has dealt the similar legal issue and decided the same in favour of the assessee. The relevant findings of the Coordinate Bench are reproduced as under:-
“15. There are several decisions, which supports the view that approval granted by the superior authority in mechanical manner defeats the very purpose of obtaining approval u/s 153D of the Act. Such perfunctory approval has no legal sanctity in the eyes of the law. The decision of the co-ordinate bench in Shreelekha Damani vs. DCIT 173 TTJ 332(Mum.) which has been approved by jurisdictional High Court subsequently, reported in 307 CTR 218 affirms the plea of the Assessee, wherein the Hon’ble Bombay High Court held as under:-
“1. This appeal is filed by the Revenue challenging the judgment of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (“the Tribunal” for short) dated 19th August, 2015.
2. Following question was argued before us for our consideration:
“Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Tribunal was justified in holding that there was no ‘application of mind’ on the part of the Authority granting approval?
3. Brief facts are that the Tribunal by the impugned judgment set aside the order of the Assessing Officer passed under Section 153A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (“the Act” for short) for Assessment Year 2007- 08. This was on the ground that the mandatory statutory requirement of obtaining an approval of the concerned authority as flowing from Section 153D of the Act, before passing the order of assessment, was not complied with.
4. This was not a case where no approval was granted at all. However, the Tribunal was of the opinion that the approval granted by the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax was without application of mind and, therefore, not a valid approval in the eye of law. Tribunal reproduced the observations made by the Additional CIT while granting approval and came to the conclusion that the same suffered from lack of application of mind. The Tribunal referred to various judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Courts in support of its conclusion that the approval whenever required under the law, must be preceded by application of mind and consideration of relevant factors before the same can be granted. The approval should not be an empty ritual and must be based on consideration of relevant material on record.
5. The learned Counsel for the Revenue submitted that the question of legality of the approval was raised by the assessee for the first time before the Tribunal. He further submitted that the Additional CIT had granted the approval. The Tribunal committed an error in holding that the same is invalid.
6. Having heard the learned Counsel for the both sides and having perused the documents on record, we have no hesitation in upholding the decision of the Tribunal. The Additional CIT while granting an approval for passing the order of assessment, had made following remarks : “To, The DCIT(OSD)1, Mumbai Subject: Approval u/s 153D of draft order u/s 143(3) r.w.s. 153A in the case of Smt. Shreelekha Nandan Damani for A.Y. 2007-08 reg. Ref: No. DCIT (OSD)1/ CR7/Appr/2010-11 dt. 31.12.2010 As per this office letter dated 20.12.2010, the Assessing Officers were asked to submit the draft orders for approval u/s 153D on or before 24.12.2010. However, this draft order has been submitted on 31.12.2010. Hence there is no much time left to analyze the issue of draft order on merit. Therefore, the draft order is being approved as it is submitted. Approval to the above said draft order is granted u/s 153D of the I. T. Act, 1961.”
7. In plain terms, the Additional CIT recorded that the draft order for approval under Section 153D of the Act was submitted only on 31st December, 2010. Hence, there was not enough time left to analyze the issues of draft order on merit. Therefore, the order was approved as it was submitted. Clearly, therefore, the Additional CIT for want of time could not examine the issues arising out of the draft order. His action of granting the approval was thus, a mere mechanical exercise accepting the draft order as it is without any independent application of mind on his part. The Tribunal is, therefore, perfectly justified in coming to the conclusion that the approval was invalid in eye of law. We are conscious that the statute does not provide for any format in which the approval must be granted or the approval granted must be recorded. Nevertheless, when the Additional CIT while granting the approval recorded that he did not have enough time to analyze the issues arising out of the draft order, clearly this was a case in which the higher Authority had granted the approval without consideration of relevant issues. Question of validity of the approval goes to the root of the matter and could have been raised at any time. In the result, no question of law arises.
8. Accordingly, the Tax Appeal is dismissed.”
16. In the case of ACIT, Circle-1 (2) Vs. Serajuddin and Co. the Hon’ble Supreme Court in SLP (Civil) Dairy No. 44989/2023 vide order dated 28/11/2023, dismissed the Appeal filed by the Department of Revenue against the order dated 15/03/2023 in ITA No. 43/2022 passed by the Hon’ble High Court of Orissa at Cuttack, wherein the Hon’ble High Court had quashed the Assessment Order on the ground of inadequacy in procedure adopted for issuing approval u/s 153D of the Act by expressing discordant note on such mechanical exercise of responsibility placed on designated authority under section 153D of the Act.
17. Hence, vindicated by the factual position as noted in preceding paras, we find considerable force in the arguments advanced by the Ld. the Assessee’s Representative on the Additional Ground of Appeal. In our considered opinion the approvals so granted under the shelter of section 153D of the Act does not pass the test of legitimacy. The Assessment orders of various assessment years as a consequence of such inexplicable approval lacks legitimacy. Consequently, the impugned assessments orders in the captioned appeals are non-est and a nullity and hence the same are quashed.
18. In view of prima facie merits found in the legal objections raised in the Addl. Grounds of the Assessees, we do not consider it expedient to look into the aspects on merits of additions/disallowance as the legal objections on sanction granted under Section 153D of the Act has been answered in favour of the Assessee. Thus the other Grounds raised in the Appeals of the Assessee in both the Appeals have rendered in- fructuous, which do not need any separate adjudication.
19. In the result, the Appeals filed by the Assessee in ITA Nos. 294/Del/2022 and ITA No. 295/Del/2022 are allowed.
11. Upon considering the entire aspect of the matter, we find that the approval has been granted not separately for each assessment year for the assessee whereas the provision of Section 153D of the Act stipulates conditions that no order of assessment or reassessment shall be made by an Assessment Officer below the rank of Joint Commissioner in respect of each assessment year referred to in Clause (b) of Sub Section (1) of Section 153A of the Act or the assessment year referred to in Clause (b) of Sub Section 153B of the Act except the prior approval of the Joint Commissioner. It further appears from the approval dated 08.06.2018 that the same was a common and composite order whereas the Addl. Commissioner is required to verify and approve that each of assessment year is complied with as well as procedural laid down under the Act.
Such fact clearly reveals non-application of mind on the part of the Learned Addl. Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Range-7, New Delhi. Thus granting approval for all the common years instead of approval under Section 153B for each assessment year separately de horse the rules. The said approval is found to have been given in a mechanical and routine manner. We find that the order issuing authority has not discharged its statutory duties cast upon him even by assigning cogent reasons in respect of the issues involved in the matter. Thus granting approval in the absence of due application of independent mind to the material on record for each assessment year in respect of the assessee’s case separately vitiates the entire proceedings; the same is found to be arbitrary and erroneous and therefore, liable to be quashed. We are also inspired by the ratio laid down in the Judgment narrated hereinabove passed by the Hon’ble Jurisdictional High Court and respectfully relying upon the same with the above observation, we quash the entire proceeding initiated under Section 153C r.w.s 153A of the Act in the absence of a valid approval granted by the Learned Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Range-7, New Delhi.
12. In the result, appeal of the assessee is allowed.”
13. We further find that Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court in the case of PCIT vs. Shiv Kumar Nayyar (supra) has decided the similar legal issue in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue. The relevant findings of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court are reproduced as under :-
“15. A similar view was taken by this Court in the case of Anuj Bansal (supra), whereby, it was reiterated that the exercise of powers under Section 153D cannot be done mechanically. Thus, the salient aspect which emerges from the abovementioned decisions is that grant of approval under Section 153D of the Act cannot be merely a ritualistic formality or rubber stamping by the authority, rather it must reflect an appropriate application of mind.
16. In the present case, the ITAT, while specifically noting that the approval was granted on the same day when the draft assessment orders were sent, has observed as under:-
“10. We have gone through the approval granted by the ld. Addl. CIT on 30.12.2018 u/s 153D of the Act which is enclosed at page 36 of the paper book of the assessee. The said letter clearly states This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 20/05/2024 at 21:34:51 that a letter dated 30.12.2018 was filed by the ld. AO before the ld. Addl. CIT seeking approval of draft assessment order u/s 153D of the Act. The ld. Addl. CIT has accorded approval for the said draft assessment orders on the very same day i.e., on 30.12.2018 for seven assessment years in the case of the assessee and for seven assessment years in the case of Smt. Neetu Nayyar. It is also pertinent in this regard to refer to pages 68 and 69 of the paper book which contains information obtained by Smt. Neetu Nayyar from Central Public Information Officer who is none other than the ld. Addl. Commissioner of Income-tax, Central Range-S, New Delhi, under Right to Information Act, wherein, it reveals that the ld. Addl. CIT had granted approval for 43 cases on 30.12.2018 itself. This fact is not in dispute before us. Of these 43 cases, as evident from page 36 of the paper book which contains the approval u/s 153D, 14 cases pertained to the assessee herein and Smt. Neetu Nayyar. The remaining cases may belong to some other assessees, which information is not available before us. In any event, whether it is humanly possible for an approving authority like ld. Addl. CIT to grant judicious approval u/s 153D of the Act for 43 cases on a single day is the subject matter of dispute before us. Further, section 153D provides that approval has to be granted for each of the assessment year whereas, in the instant case, the ld. Addl. CIT has granted a single approval for all assessment years put together.”
17. Notably, the order of approval dated 30.12.2020 which was produced before us by the learned counsel for the assessee clearly signifies that a single approval has been granted for AYs 2011-12 to 2017-18 in the case of the assessee. The said order also fails to make any mention of the fact that the draft assessment orders were perused at all, much less perusal of the same with an independent application of mind. Also, we cannot lose sight of the fact that in the instant case, the concerned authority has granted approval for 43 cases in a single day which is evident from the findings of the ITAT, succinctly encapsulated in the order extracted above.
18. Therefore, under the facts of the present case, considering the foregoing discussion and the enunciation of law settled through This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 20/05/2024 at 21:34:51 judicial pronouncements discussed hereinabove, we are unable to find any substantial question of law which would merit our consideration.”
14. We further observe that the coordinate Bench in the assessee’s own case in ITA No.6124/Del/2024 for AY 2013-14 order dated 29.09.2025 decided the issue in favour of the assessee.
15. Respectfully following the above precedents, we quash the entire proceedings initiated under section 153A r.w.s. 153C of the Act for want of invalid approval u/s 153D of the Act given by Addl. CIT, Central Range, Gurugram.
16. We are refrained from adjudicating the other grounds of appeal and at this stage, we keep the other grounds of appeal open.
17. In the result, the appeal filed by the assessee is partly allowed.
18. Since the facts are exactly similar in AYs 2015-16 to 2019-20, our above findings in AY 2005-06 are applicable mutatis mutandis in Assessment Years 2015-16 to 2019-20. Accordingly, the appeals filed by the assessee for AYs 2015-16 to 2019-20 are partly allowed.
19. To sum up : all the appeals filed by the assessee are partly allowed.
Order pronounced in the open court on this 12thday of November, 2025.
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