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2019 (3) TMI 824 - AT - FEMAOffence under FEMA - appellant had without any general or special permission of RBI, received amounts ₹ 2,47,99,350/- in India, otherwise than through an authorised person, by order or on behalf of his friend Madan, a person resident outside India - penalty imposed - HELD THAT:- From the documents/statements the Investigating Officer became aware of the identity of various persons from whom Shri Harish Kumar had been receiving payments in India, under instructions of his friend Madan, residing in USA, who was earlier residing in Mohali. In view of other certain searches were conducted and a number of persons examined and their statements recorded under FEMA, which brought out corroboratory evidence viz-a-viz the facts as stated by Shri Harish Kumar in his afore-mentioned statements. Shri Harish Kumar later on sought to retract from his abovementioned statements, by way of a letter sent during the course of investigations, besides by way of submissions made during the course of personal haring including in the form of Affidavits, both his as also of one other person, in which Affidavit, it is claimed that amount totaling to ₹ 26,25,000/- was received by Shri Harish Kumar from the said person (Harchand Singh) on interest for using the same in his business of Goldsmith. It is correctly found in the impugned order that from the seized material and the above-mentioned statements, and find that the said statements, when read with in conjunction with the seized documents/material, brings out the facts that the contention of the Noticee that he was forced to make inculpatory statements is not correct. Not only that these statements are in the form of explanation to the seized documents, it is also a matter of records that the said statements were recorded by Shri B.C. Mahey, Assistant Director and not by Shri Balwinder Singh (the then Chief Enforcement Officer), as alleged by the Noticee. Therefore, as agreeing with the finding arrived in the impugned order that it is established beyond a reasonable doubt that during the years 2002 and 2003, the said Shri Harish Kumar @ Rinku without any general or special permission of Reserve Bank, received amounts totaling to ₹ 2,47,99,350/-, in India, otherwise then through an authorized person, by order or on behalf of his friend Madan, a person resident outside India, and thereby he has contravened the provisions of Section 3 (c ) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 - the seized amount of ₹ 21,75,000/- was the amount involved in afore-mentioned contraventions of the provisions of FEMA. It is also a matter record that the appellant had retracted his admission after the expiry of almost more than four years. The said period is long period of time. It is after thought thus has no value in the eyes of law. With regard to the penalty of ₹ 25,00,000/- is concerned, it has come on record that appellant is not in a position to deposit the said amount. The appellant is suffering from undue hardship. The financial condition of the appellant is very weak. He has been residing in House in Punjab, on rent from the last many years. On the perusal of the affidavit and a copy of the deed of conveyance filed therewith makes it abundantly clear that the father of the appellant Late Shri Kanwar Bhan had been residing in the aforesaid rented house and after the death of his father the appellant has been residing in that house. He is an unemployed person living with the generosity of the Management of the nearby Gurudwara where he and his family are having their daily meals in return of his help to the distribution of free meal to the devotees. He does not have any income who is not an income tax payee and does not have any other financial resources to make the pre-deposit of the penalty. There is no material on record on behalf of the respondent to show that the appellant is not suffering from the undue hardship. It appears from the record, there is no contrary evidence available. The appellant is exempted to deposit the penalty amount. The same is waived in view of the peculiar facts of the present case. The impupgned order is modified only to this extent of penalty component.
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