No Respite to Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh from HC in Income Tax Case

Tribunal to have correctly affirmed the order passed by the Commissioner. Also, it cannot be said that the Tribunal erred in accepting the additional evidence placed on record by the Revenue. It also cannot be said that the Tribunal committed any material irregularity and violated any procedure and such action is illegal or bad in law. In fact, we find principles of natural justice and fair play to have been adhered to and fully complied with.

We reiterate that sub-section (1) of Section 263 confers sufficient powers upon the Commissioner to decide all issues of law, after recording its satisfaction that the order passed by the Assessing Officer is erroneous and prejudicial to the interest of the Revenue. The power is wide enough to take in its sweep the action of modifying, cancelling or directing fresh assessment, particularly when it is a case of “no inquiry”. We are of the considered view that no inquiry, as envisaged in law, was carried out, hence, question of the Commissioner taking an alternate possible view does not arise. The Assessing Officer cannot be said to have taken a plausible view, as envisaged in law, and the view taken by the Commissioner to be an alternative one. Finding of the Commissioner that the order is erroneous is not on account of his mere disagreement with the view taken by the Assessing Officer. Any inquiry, without application of mind, is nonest. The given facts warranted the Assessing Officer to have conducted complete and proper inquiry and only thereafter, assessed the income so declared by the Assessee. He ought to have considered that the Assessee had sought to revise the return by declaring an income 1872% higher than what was originally returned and that too after action for scrutinizing the return was initiated. All transactions of sale of agricultural produce were in cash. Income declared was (a) disproportionately high only with respect to the relevant year and never in the preceding or succeeding years, (b) investment of huge amount of Rs. 3.8 crore was carried out by the Assessee himself, be from whatever source and there was no reference thereof in the original return. As such, omission or wrong statement cannot be said to be bonafide. Prima facie returns, being invalid, ought to have been rejected.