TMI Blog2018 (5) TMI 1605X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... sidering the condonation petition we find that there is reasonable cause for the delay, so, we condone the delay and admit the appeal for hearing. 3. In this appeal the revenue has challenged the order of Ld. CIT(A) in deleting the penalty u/s. 271(1)(c) of the Act. The facts and circumstances under which penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act was imposed on the assessee by the AO are that in this case a search and seizure operation was carried out in respect of 'Agarwal Gourisaria Sub - Group' of cases on 13.02.2013 and on subsequent dates. M/s. Gangour Tie- Up Pvt. Ltd. is one of the assessees of this group. The assessee filed its return of income for the AY 2013-14 on 28.09.2013 declaring a total income of ₹ 1,11,00,880/-. Assessment u/s 143(3) thereof was completed on 31.03.2015 at ₹ 1,11,42,600/-. During the course of assessment proceedings, the AO observed that the assessee has made disclosure of ₹ 1,00,00,000/- u/s 132(4) of the Act. In reply the assessee has made written submission stating that The manner of earning of the same is out of business activities of trading in sarees, ghaghra sets, suits, dress materials, furnishings and related activities ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... or the assessment year 2013-14 it appears that you have concealed the particulars or furnished inaccurate particulars of such income. 5. The ld. Counsel for the assessee drew our attention to the decision of the Hon ble Karnataka High Court in the case of CIT vs. SSA s Emerald Meadows in ITA No.380 of 2015 dated 23.11.2015 wherein the Hon ble Karnataka High Court following its own decision in the case of CIT vs Manjunatha Cotton and Ginning factory (2013) 359 ITR 565 took a view that imposing of penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act is bad in law and invalid for the reason that the show cause notice u/s 274 of the Act does not specify the charge against the assessee as to whether it is for concealment of particulars of income or furnishing of inaccurate particulars of income. The ld. Counsel further brought to our notice that as against the decision of the Hon ble Karnataka High Court the revenue preferred an appeal in SLP in CC No.11485 of 2016 and the Hon ble Supreme Court by its order dated 05.08.2016 dismissed the SLP preferred by the department. The ld. Counsel also brought to our notice the decision of the Hon ble Bombay High Court in the case of CIT vs Shri Samson Perincher ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... the written note filed before us. 9. In the case of CIT Vs. Kaushalya (supra), the Hon ble Bombay High Court held that section 274 or any other provision in the Act or the Rules, does not either mandate the giving of notice or its issuance in a particular form. Penalty proceedings are quasi-criminal in nature. Section 274 contains the principle of natural justice of the assessee being heard before levying penalty. Rules of natural justice cannot be imprisoned in any straight-jacket formula. For sustaining a complaint of failure of the Principles of natural justice on the ground of absence of opportunity, it has to be established that prejudice is caused to the concerned person by the procedure followed. The issuance of notice is an administrative device for informing the assessee about the proposal to levy penalty in order to enable him to explain as to why it should not be done. Mere mistake in the language used or mere non-striking of the inaccurate portion cannot by itself invalidate the notice. The ITAT Mumbai Bench in the case of Dhanraj Mills Pvt.Ltd. (supra) followed the decision rendered by the Jurisdictional Hon ble Bombay High court in the case of Kaushalya (supra) ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... te Authority, the initiated penal proceedings, no longer exists. If the Appellate Authority had initiated penal proceedings on the basis of the addition sustained under a new ground it has a legal sanctum. This was not so in this case and therefore, on both the grounds the impugned order passed by the Appellate Authority as well as the Assessing Authority was set-aside by its order dated 9th April, 2009. Aggrieved by the said order, the revenue filed appeal before High Court. The Hon ble High Court framed the following question of law in the said appeal viz., 1. Whether the notice issued under Section 271(1)(c) in the printed form without specifically mentioning whether the proceedings are initiated on the ground of concealment of income or on account of furnishing of inaccurate particulars is valid and legal? 2. Whether the proceedings initiated by the Assessing Authority was legal and valid? The Hon ble Karnataka High Court held in the negative and against the revenue on both the questions. Therefore the decision rendered by the ITAT Mumbai in the case of Earthmoving Equipment Service Corporation (supra) is of no assistance to the plea of the revenue before us. 11. In the c ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... elf invalidate the notice. The Tribunal Benches at Mumbai and Patna being subordinate to the Hon ble Bombay High Court and Patna High Court are bound to follow the aforesaid view. The Tribunal Benchs at Bangalore have to follow the decision of the Hon ble Karnataka High Court. As far as benches of Tribunal in other jurisdictions are concerned, there are two views on the issue, one in favour of the Assessee rendered by the Hon ble Karnataka High Court in the case of Manjunatha Cotton Ginning (supra) and other of the Hon ble Bombay High Court in the case of Smt.Kaushalya. It is settled legal position that where two views are available on an issue, the view favourable to the Assessee has to be followed. We therefore prefer to follow the view expressed by the Hon ble Karnataka High Court in the case of Manjunatha Cotton Ginning (supra). 15. We have already observed that the show cause notice issued in the present case u/s 274 of the Act does not specify the charge against the assessee as to whether it is for concealing particulars of income or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income. The show cause notice u/s 274 of the Act does not strike out the inappropriate words. In ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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