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2015 (12) TMI 632 - HC - Income TaxUndisclosed sale of plot - Assessing Officer said that the assessee had paid an aggregate amount of ₹ 7,10,22,110/- during the assessment year 2006- 07 and had failed to explain the source of the same. Since the documented price of Block No.509, 500, 494, 504 and 510 was ₹ 58,11,901/-, the Assessing Officer treated the difference of amount of ₹ 6,52,10,209/- as the deemed income of the assessee under section 69 - ITAT deleted the addition - Held that:- From the concurrent findings recorded by the Tribunal, it is evident that the appellants have not been able to establish the fact that any funds have actually been paid by Vivek Patel to the sellers. While the sellers have stated that they have received the funds by a representative of Vivek Patel, the name of such person has not been disclosed nor have the dates on which such funds have been received come on record. A perusal of the power-of-attorney on which strong reliance has been placed on behalf of the appellant to contend that it establishes a link between the assessee and Vivek Patel, shows that the same has been executed by one of the sellers in favour of Vivek Patel in relation to one of the plots purchased by the assessee, but, significantly, such power-ofattorney has been found to be from the possession of the seller and not from Vivek Patel. Therefore, there is no material on record that prior to the search, Vivek Patel acted upon such power of attorney so as to establish a link, howsoever tenuous, between the assessee and Vivek Patel. As noticed earlier, the assessee has denied having paid any more consideration than that reflected in the sale deed executed in his favour. Vivek Patel has denied having paid any consideration to the sellers pursuant to the agreement to sell. The revenue has failed to bring any reliable material to establish payment of consideration by Vivek Patel to the sellers or to establish any link between the assessee and Vivek Patel, who have both asserted that they did not know each other prior to the search. Under the circumstances, on the evidence which has come on record, the revenue has failed to establish that any higher consideration has been paid by the respondent assessee in connection with the sale deeds executed in his favour by the sellers in respect of the plots of land in question. The conclusion arrived at by the Tribunal is based upon findings of fact recorded by it upon appreciation of the evidence on record. The learned counsel for the appellant, despite strenuous efforts, is not in a position to point out any perversity in the findings recorded by the Tribunal. In the opinion of this court, having regard to the evidence which has come on record, which reveals that there is an agreement to sell executed between Vivek Patel and the sellers, which reflects the price of the plots of land in question to be a much higher figure than the documented price and the fact that the sellers have stated that they have received higher amounts by way of on-money and have also shown receipt of such amount in their income-tax returns, the circumstances do raise a suspicion. However, as held by the Supreme Court in Commissioner of Income-tax v. Daulatram Rawatmull, (1964 (3) TMI 14 - SUPREME Court ), even if circumstances raise a suspicion, suspicion cannot take the place of evidence.- Decided against revenue
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