Owner knowledge of share allotment and buy-back defeats benami classification and prevents confirmation of provisional attachment.
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....Section 2(9)(C) of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act requires the purported owner to be unaware of, or deny knowledge of, ownership. Acknowledgements by alleged benamidars during cross-examination that they knew of share allotments and buy-backs, and received the consideration in their bank accounts, prevent the transactions from meeting that requirement. Such acknowledgements prevail over conflicting statements made in income-tax proceedings. Potential tax evasion reflected in trade-payable entries does not, by itself, establish a benami transaction. Consequently, provisional attachment cannot be confirmed where the statutory knowledge requirement is not satisfied.....
TaxTMI