2015 (1) TMI 617
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....e issued with a notice on 22.03.2004 by his assessing officer. It was alleged by the revenue that the notice was on account of opinion formation in terms of Section 158BB of Sh. Manoj Aggarwal's assessing officer. During the course of proceeding the matter ultimately reached the ITAT which after considering the submissions of the parties as far as the records of assessment, in the assessee's case, held that the requirement of Section 158BB were not complied with in terms of the judgment of the Supreme Court cited as Manish Maheswari V. ACIT 2007 289 ITR 341 (SC). The order of the ITAT became the subject matter of challenge in ITA 582/2008. By judgment and order dated 30.5.2011, this Court affirmed the findings of the ITAT. While doing so, the judgment in Manish Maheswari (supra) was considered, and so too were the other decisions of the Surpeme Court. Thereafter the Court in para 17 discussed the letter/communication dated 15.7.2003, by the assessing officer of Manoj Aggarwal, who wrote to the assessing officer of the present assessee. The relevant extract of the said letter is as follows : "1) Various diarie....
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.... the case of SMC Share Brokers Ltd. (supra) had pressed into service the note dated 29.8.2002 which has been sought to be pressed into service by the learned counsel for the revenue herein. The tribunal while dealing with the said note dated 29.8.2002 expressed their views as follows: "14.3 As per the Departmental Representative, the satisfaction for initiating proceedings under Section 158BD was recorded by the AO making assessment in the case of Shri Manoj Aggarwal and M/s Friends Portfolio (P) Ltd. on 29th Aug., 2002 also i.e. on the date of passing assessment order dt. 29th Aug., 2002 itself. However, the learned Counsel for the assessee has seriously challenged the genuineness and the authenticity of this note. According to him, this note is antedated. He tried to substantiate his argument by demonstrating that if the satisfaction note was recorded on 29th Aug., 2002 then there would have been no necessity to further record the satisfaction again on 26th Nov., 2002. He also pointed out that from the contents and language of the alleged satisfaction note dt. 29th Aug., 2002, it is evident that this ....
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....issions of the learned Counsel for the assessee made before us and conclude that no satisfaction note was prepared on 29th Aug., 2002 and this note has been prepared even after 26th Nov., 2002. Our reasons for holding so are as under: (i) Had the satisfaction been recorded on 29th Aug., 2002, there would have been no necessity to record another satisfaction on 26th Nov., 2002. The note refers to the "satisfaction recorded in the case of this company" which reference is to the satisfaction dt. 26th Nov., 2002 and hence this note has been prepared subsequent to satisfaction note dt. 26th Nov., 2002. (ii) Had the satisfaction note been recorded on 29th Aug., 2002 then the record pertaining to the other person not searched should have been transferred to the AO of the present assessee who was a different officer at that time than the officer of the searched person. (iii) The alleged satisfaction makes mention of the proposal and approval regarding ce....
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....the assessing officer before he transmits the records to the other assessing officer who has jurisdiction over such other person. The satisfaction note could be prepared at either of the following stages: (a) at the time of or along with the initiation of proceedings against the searched person under Section 158BC of the Act; (b) along with the assessment proceedings under Section 158BC of the Act; and (c) immediately after the assessment proceedings are completed under Section 158BC of the Act of the searched person 45. We are informed by Shri Santosh Krishan, who is appearing in seven of the appeals that the assessing officer had not recorded the satisfaction note as required under Section 158BD of the Act, therefore, the Tribunal and the High Court were justified in setting aside the orders of assessment and the orders passed by the first appellate authority. We do not intend to examine the aforesaid contention canvassed by the learned counsel since we are remanding the matters to the High Court for consideration of the individual cases herein in light of the observations made by us on the scope and possib....