Case Law Details
PCIT Vs Nageshwar Enterprises (Gujarat High Court)
A Co-ordinate Bench of this Court, in the case of Kailashben Manharlal Chokshi vs. Commissioner of Income-tax, 328 ITR 411, took the view that merely on the basis of admission, the assessee cannot be subjected to additions. The Co-ordinate Bench proceeded to observe that unless and until some corroborative evidence is found in support of such admission, the department would be justified in making additions. In other words the proposition of law as laid down is that the department cannot start with the confessional statement. The confessional statement has to be brought in aid of other materials on record. In the case on hand two authorities have concurrently recorded a finding of fact that, except the statement recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act there is no other evidence.
Raval, the learned standing counsel appearing for the Revenue seeks to rely upon the decision of the Rajasthan High Court in the case of Bannalal Jat Constructions (P.) Ltd. vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax reported in [2019] 106 taxmann.com 128 (SC).
The ratio of this decision is that there is a statement recorded in the course of the search proceedings and such statement is retracted and the burden is on the maker of the statement to establish that the admission in his statement was wrong and that such statement was recorded under duress and coercion. It is further brought to our notice that the decision of the Rajasthan High Court was carried in appeal by the assessee before the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has dismissed the SLP. There need not be any debate with the proposition of law as laid down in the decision of the Rajasthan High Court, but a close look at the decision of the Rajasthan High Court would indicate that the confessional statement was not the only piece of evidence. There was no material to corroborate the statement made by the assessee in the form of confession. In the case on hand, as noted above, there is no material except the confessional statement of the assessee recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act.
In view of the concurrent findings recorded by both, the CIT(A) as well as the Appellate Tribunal, we are of the view that we should not disturb the finding of facts. None of the questions as proposed by the Revenue could be termed as substantial question of law.
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