TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2022 (9) TMI 113
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....39;) dated 04.05.2019. 2. The writ petitions have been filed as early as on 2019 and pleadings were stated to be complete at the time when the matter came up for final hearing before this Hon'ble Court on 24.06.2022 based upon the submission made by learned Senior Standing Counsel, the following order was passed:- "The petitioner has sought information in regard to R4 relying upon the provisions of Section 138(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 that deals with 'disclosure of information of respecting assessees'. 2. In additional typed set dated 18.09.2019, the petitioner has placed on record his application filed before the various authorities, who have replied stating that the files have been transferred to other authoritie....
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.... as sought for by the petitioner. 5. For the purpose of clarity and completion, the provisions of Section 138 (1) (a) and (b), dealing with 'disclosure of information respecting assessees' is extracted below: Disclosure of information respecting assessees. 138.(1)(a) The Board or any other income-tax authority specified by it by a general or special order in this behalf may furnish or cause to be furnished to- (i) any officer, authority or body performing any functions under any law relating to the imposition of any tax, duty or cess, or to dealings in foreign exchange as defined in clause (n) of section 2 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999); or (ii) such officer, authority or body performing functions under a....
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....est, and to enable the Officer/Authority/body concerned to perform their functions under that law. 7. Clause (b) of Section 138 (1) entitles 'any person' to make an application to the Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner, information relating to any other assessee and the Authority concerned, if it is satisfied that it is in 'public interest', may supply such information of his decision to supply such information shall be final and not be called in question in any Court of law. 8. Order dated 13.07.2022 passed in the case reads as follows: "Shri J. Jayaprakash ( PAN AFWPJ9175J ) assessed in Central Circle 2 ( 4 ) , Chennai , had filed application seeking information under clause ( B ) of Sub - section ( 1 )....
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....to above persons to the applicant . The disclosure of information with regard to the financial matters of third parties assessed with the department , as sought by the applicant , cannot thus be considered to be in public interest within the meaning of section 138 ( 1 ) ( b ) of IT Act ." 9. A copy of the application filed by the petitioner read with order dated 13.07.2022 does not reveal any flaw in the satisfaction exercised by the Officer/Authority/body concerned in passing the order. 10. Clause (b) of Section 138 (1) states that the requisite information as sought for by the applicant may be furnished if the Officer were to be 'satisfied' that it is in 'public interest' to do so. Since the authority in this case has ca....