TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2017 (11) TMI 1135
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
..../2017, the assessee sought adjournment vide letter dated 12/05/2017. The appeal was adjourned to 17/05/2017. Today at the time of hearing, i.e. 14/09/2017, the assessee neither presented itself nor moved any adjournment petition. It seems that the assessee has nothing to say, therefore, we have no option but to proceed ex-parte, qua the assessee and tend to dispose off this appeal on the basis of material available on record. The Ld. DR, Shri V. Justin, strongly defended the assessment order by advancing arguments, which are identical to the ground raised. Our attention was invited to the factual finding recorded by the Ld. Assessing Officer and not controverted in the impugned order. 2.1. We have considered the submissions of Ld. DR and perused the material available on record. If the observation made in the assessment order, leading to addition made to the total income, conclusion drawn in the impugned order, material available on record, assertions made by the ld. DR, if kept in juxtaposition and analyzed, before adverting further, the facts of the present appeals before us, we deem it appropriate to consider various decisions from Hon'ble High Courts/Hon'ble Apex Cou....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ntire amounts have been withdrawn by bearer cheques and there is no trace or identity of the person withdrawing the amount from the bank accounts. In the light of the aforesaid nature of evidence it is not possible to record a different conclusion, different from the one recorded by the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Tribunal concurrently holding that the apparent sellers were not genuine, or were acting as conduit between the assesseefirm and the actual sellers of the raw materials. Both the Commissioner (Appeals) and the Tribunal have, therefore, come to the conclusion that in such circumstances, the likelihood of the purchase price being inflated cannot be ruled out and there is no material to dislodge such finding. The issue is not whether the purchase price reflected in the books of account matches the purchase price stated to have been paid to other persons. The issue is whether the purchase price paid by the assessee is reflected as receipts by the recipients. The assessee has, by set of evidence available on record, made it possible for the recipients not being traceable for the purpose of inquiry as to whether the payments made by the assessee have been actually received b....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... bogus is essentially a question of fact. The Tribunal having examined the evidence on record came to the conclusion that the assessee did purchase the cloth and sell the finished goods. In that view of the matter, as natural corollary, not the entire amount covered under such purchase, but the profit element embedded therein would be subject to tax. This was the view of this court in the case of Sanjay Oilcake Industries v. CIT [2009] 316 ITR 274 (Guj). Such decision is also followed by this court in a judgment dated August 16, 2011, in Tax Appeal No. 679 of 2010 in the case of CIT v. Kishor Amrutlal Patel. In the result, tax appeal is dismissed." 2.3. Likewise, the Hon'ble Gujarat High Court in CIT vs Vijay M. Mistry Construction Ltd. (2013) 355 ITR 498 (Guj.) held/observed as under:- "6. As is apparent from the facts noted hereinabove, the Commissioner (Appeals) after appreciating the evidence on record has found that the assessee had in fact made the purchases and, hence, the Assessing Officer was not justified in disallowing the entire amount. He, however, was of the view that the assessee had inflated the purchases and, accordingly, by placing reliance on the ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... made from MMTC while making the disallowance. His observations were based on inflation of rates which were being charged from the assessee. According to the Commissioner (Appeals), though MMTC in some respect could be attributed to be associated with the assessee-company, still it could not be expected that MMTC was carrying out its business without any motive or profit. According to the Commissioner (Appeals), it was proved by the assessee that the rates charged by MMTC were comparable with the prevailing market rates, no such addition can stand. The Commissioner (Appeals) took note of the fact that it was not the case of the Assessing Officer that the purchases had been directly effected from third parties and not directly from MMTC ; the difference could not be the net profit in the hands of MMTC ; and that while conducting the entire exercise MMTC would have to incur certain expenditure in transportation, in engaging personnel in the office and other operations and was accordingly of the view that there was no case of actual inflation of rates and deleted the addition. 12. The Tribunal, in the impugned order, has concurred with the findings recorded by the Commissione....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....pon appreciation of the material on record the Commissioner (Appeals) found that the Assessing Officer has simply brushed aside all the evidence on account of technical infirmities and that the evidence such as octroi receipt ; hypothecation of the crane to the bank; existence of the crane even till date with the assessee conclusively proved that the crane was purchased and it was in use even as on date with the assessee. The Commissioner (Appeals) accordingly found that there was no scope for any disallowance and accordingly deleted the disallowance made on account of purchase of crane and allowed the depreciation as claimed by the assessee. 15. The Tribunal, in the impugned order, has noted that the cost of crane was never claimed by the assessee in the return of income. Before the Tribunal, the assessee produced the evidence that the crane in question was registered with the RTO and the same was wholly and exclusively used for the purposes of its business. The Tribunal, therefore, held that the Commissioner (Appeals) was legally and factually correct in deleting the disallowance of cost of crane as well as depreciation thereon. 16. From the facts emerging from ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....al question of law can be said to arise from the order of the Tribunal. The appeal is dismissed with no order as to costs." 2.5. The Hon'ble jurisdictional High Court in CIT vs Nikunj Exim Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (2015) 372 ITR 619 (Bom.) held/observed as under:- "7. We have considered the submission on behalf of the Revenue. However, from the order of the Tribunal dated April 30, 2010, we find that the Tribunal has deleted the additions on account of bogus purchases not only on the basis of stock statement, i.e., reconciliation statement but also in view of the other facts. The Tribunal records that the books of account of the respondent-assessee have not been rejected. Similarly, the sales have not been doubted and it is an admitted position that substantial amount of sales have been made to the Government Department, i.e., Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad. Further, there were confirmation letters filed by the suppliers, copies of invoices for purchases as well as copies of bank statement all of which would indicate that the purchases were in fact made. In our view, merely because the suppliers have not appeared before the Assessing Officer or ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....hases made by the assessee from these parties were bogus. It may be stated that the assessee was given credit facilities for a short duration and the payments were given by cheques. When that is so, it cannot be said that the entries for the purchases of the goods made in the books of account were bogus entries. We, therefore, do not find that the conclusion arrived at by the Tribunal is against the weight of evidence. In that view of the matter, we answer the question in the affirmative, that is, in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue. Accordingly, the reference stands disposed of with no order as to costs." 2.7. The Mumbai Bench of the Tribunal in the case of DCIT vs Rajeev G. Kalathil (2015) 67 SOT 52 (Mum. Trib.)(URO), identically, held as under:- "2.2.Aggrieved by the order of the AO, assessee preferred an appeal before the First Appellate Authority(FAA).Before him it was argued that assessee had filed copies of bills of purchase from DKE and NBE, that both the suppliers were registered dealers and were carrying proper VAT and registration No.s, that ledger accounts of the parties in assessee's books showed bills accounted for, that payment was made ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....vidence. He could have called for the details of the bank accounts of the suppliers to find out as whether there was any immediate cash withdrawal from their account. We find that no such exercise was done. Transportation of good to the site is one of the deciding factor to be considered for resolving the issue. The FAA has given a finding of fact that part of the goods received by the assessee was forming part of closing stock. As far as the case of Western Extrusion Industries. (supra)is concerned, we find that in that matter cash was immediately withdrawn by the supplier and there was no evidence of movement of goods. But, in the case before us, there is nothing, in the order of the AO, about the cash traial. Secondly, proof of movement of goods is not in doubt. Thererfore, considering the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case under appeal, we are of the opinion that the order of the FAA does not suffer from any legal infirmity and there are not sufficient evidence on file to endorse the view taken by the AO. So, confirming the order of the FAA, we decide ground no.1 against the AO." 2.8. The ratio laid down in the case of M/s Neeta Textiles vs Income Tax Officer 6138/....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....he case of the assessee was selected for scrutiny, therefore, requisite notices u/s 143(2) and 142(1) along with questionnaire were served upon the assessee. The assessee attended the proceedings. The assessee is also trading in iron & still and fabrics. The books of accounts of the assessee were rejected u/s 145(3) of the Act on the reasons contained in para-4 onwards of the assessment order. To verify the genuineness of the transactions, the assessee was asked to submit the details of purchases/sales of the traded goods. As per the assessee, the details were provided. One of the party i.e. M/s Siddhpad Trading Pvt. Ltd. was found to be listed on Hawala Dealers/bogus billers/bogus entry provider by the Maharashtra Sales Tax Department. The investigation wing of the Department also circulated the statement of M/s Siddhpad Trading Pvt. Ltd. tendered before the Sales Tax Department, wherein, it was accepted that no goods were in fact sold by the company and only bogus bills were provided. This fact was brought to the notice of the assessee along with the copy of statement so recorded. In the light of these documents, the assessee was asked to produce the purchase bills, delivery chal....