Home Case Index All Cases Income Tax Income Tax + HC Income Tax - 2018 (12) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2018 (12) TMI 292 - HC - Income TaxAssessment u/s 153A - absence of satisfaction - statutory mandate to record “reasons to believe” - Held that:- “Reasons to suspect” and not “reasons to believe” were sufficient to conduct a search of the lockers in question. The need and requirement to record “reasons to believe”, which is the statutory mandate was required and necessary in the present case, in the absence of the satisfaction of the condition and requirements of clause (i) to Section 132(1) of the Act in the satisfaction note. The contention of the respondents that jewellery was found in locker No.7325-A and Nagina Judge has taken contradictory stands is of no avail. Validity or invalidity of search is not to be judged and decided on the basis whether or not anything was found in the locker including locker Nos. 7712-D and 7637-A, which were empty. Validity of search has to be decided and adjudicated on the basis of satisfaction note; whether satisfaction note satisfies the statutory requirements and the respondents have acted in accordance with law. In fact, there is contradiction in the plea raised by the respondents for nothing was found in locker Nos.7712-D and 7637-A. An irregularity in exercise of search and seizure would not affect the authorization or search. It could in a given case vitiate the action taken when the officer executing the search and seizure has acted malafidely. Clearly, therefore, legal validity of issue of warrant of authorization is distinguished from the manner and method in which it has been executed. The respondents have also placed reliance on Section 292CC of the Act. The said section is of no relevance to the present case. It was inserted by Finance Act, 2012 with retrospective effect from 1st April, 1996 in view of some judgments holding that authorization for search must be separately issued in the name of each person and when warrant of authorization is issued in the name of more than one person, the assessment is to be made against all of them as Association of Persons and not as separate individuals. We fail to understand relevance of the said provision in the factual matrix of the present case. Supplementary or secondary contentions raised by the respondents have to be rejected. Authority and power to conduct search and seizure operations is strident and caustic power authorized by law to be taken recourse to when the conditions mentioned under different clauses of Section 132 (1) of the Act are satisfied. Constitutional validity of the said provision has been upheld due to the safeguards provided by the section itself, to prevent and check cases of abuse and misuse. Investigation and detection of economic offences is onerous and a difficult task, for often evidence and material is concealed and subterfuge is adopted to prevent and deflect detection. This, however, does not give liberty to the authorities to disregard and authorize search and seizure operations without formation of requisite belief. Power and authority given to the authorities must be exercised in terms of the statute and not contrary to and in violation of jurisdictional requirements. Power, as given, also imposes an obligation on the authorities to satisfy jurisdictional pre-conditions for the exercise of power to be held to be valid and not bad and contrary to law. We find merit in the present writ petitions and hold that the warrants of authorization for search and seizure operations in respect of the three lockers in the case of three petitioners are vitiated and illegal. Warrants of authorization against the petitioners are quashed and set aside. Consequently, proceedings under Section 153A of the Act are also set aside and quashed. We, however, clarify that we have not commented on evidence, if any, collected during the course of search and whether the said evidence or material can be used in any proceedings initiated by the income-tax authorities in accordance with law. - Decided in favour of assessee.
|