Home Case Index All Cases Income Tax Income Tax + HC Income Tax - 2020 (3) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2020 (3) TMI 1119 - HC - Income TaxNon remittence of TDS in time - penal action initiated by the Income Tax Department against the petitioners - criminal proceedings - HELD THAT:- The petitioners Company M/s.Vasan Health Care Private Limited has not remitted the TDS in time. It has partially remitted with interest but still remittence of TDS is due. Mere representation to defer action will not and cannot stop the authorities proceeding in accordance to law. The interim relief granted to the petitioners is to operate the bank account with minimum balance of ₹ 1.62 Crores by itself an indication that the petitioners have not cleared the entire due. Even otherwise, the interim order of the Court dated 08.01.2016, goes to show that only after the coercive measure of freezing the petitioners account, the Income Tax Department were able to recover about ₹ 8 Crores. While so, the petitioners, who have failed to pay TDS in time and what little paid was paid with delay and interest cannot stale the prosecution on frivolous and flimsy ground. In this case, the petitioners though deducted tax at source, not paid the same within the time prescribed. This action of initiating criminal prosecution after obtaining sanction from the appropriate authority cannot be termed as violative of principles of natural justice. Refer the case of Madhumilan Syntex Ltd [2007 (3) TMI 670 - SUPREME COURT] wherein the Directors of the Company approached the Court seeking quash of the criminal prosecution on the ground that the tax deducted at source was paid with interest and there was reasonable cause of the belated payment, the Honourable Supreme Court after extracting the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act once a statute requires to pay tax and stipulates period within which such payment is to be made, the payment must be made within that period. If the payment is not made within that period, there is default and an appropriate action can be taken under the Act. Interpretation canvassed by the learned counsel would make the provision relating to prosecution nugatory.' Following the dictum laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Madhumilan Syntex case [supra], these Criminal Original Petitions are dismissed. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petitions are closed.
|