2024 (11) TMI 1528 - SCH - Income Tax

SLP dismissed, delay condoned; Finance Act 2021 abolished Income Tax Settlement Commission, Interim Board to handle pending applications

The SC dismissed the Special Leave Petition and condoned the delay. The Court noted the Finance Act, 2021 abolished the Income Tax Settlement Commission ... Ceasure of income tax settlement commission - restriction to the filing of the application before the Interim Board for Settlement - by Finance Act, 2021, which was notified on 01.04.2021, the ITSC was abolished and an Interim Board was constituted only to deal with applications pending as of 01.02.2023 - HELD THAT:- As petitioners submitted that in Velammal Chennai Educational Trust] [2024 (9) TMI 101 - SC ORDER] this Court by order was not inclined to interfere in the said Special Leave Petition(s). Since, this Special Leave Petition raises identical issues, appropriate orders may be issued on the submission of learned A.S.G. Thus we condone the delay and dismiss this Special Leave Petition. The question of law, if any, shall remain open. The Court treated this Special Leave Petition as raising issues identical to those in SLP(C) Dy. No. 21948/2024 (Union of India and Ors. v. Velammal Chennai Educational Trust), noting that in the earlier matter the Court by order dated 09.07.2024 'was not inclined to interfere.' After considering the petitioner's submissions, the Court chose to 'condone the delay and dismiss this Special Leave Petition.' The order expressly states that 'The question of law, if any, shall remain open.' All pending applications are directed to stand disposed of. The disposition rests on parity with the earlier SLP and procedural acceptance of delay; no determination on substantive legal questions was made, leaving substantive issues for future consideration.