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2019 (4) TMI 953

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..... rald Meadows, [ 2016 (8) TMI 1145 - SUPREME COURT] . Accordingly, following the decision of the Coordinate Bench as well as Hon ble Jurisdictional High Court, this issue is decided in favour of the assessee by holding that the initiation of penalty is not valid and consequently the order passed u/s 271AAB is not sustainable Absence of a finding that the income disclosed by the assessee is an undisclosed income as explanation to section 271AAB(1) - penalty is not mandatory but to be imposed on merits of each case - HELD THAT:- We hold that the entries in the seized documents representing the payment on account of land, in the absence of the other essential facts regarding the particulars of the land as well as the persons do not constitute undisclosed income of the assessee as defined in the explanation to section 271AAB. Accordingly, the penalty levied under section 271AAB by the AO and confirmed by the ld. CIT (A) is not sustainable As regards the alternative plea regarding the requirement of maintaining the regular books of account by the assessee, we find that the assessee is not engaged in any business activity or any other professional activity requiring the regular boo .....

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..... n 139(1) on 30th September, 2015 declaring total income of ₹ 8,12,64,560/- including the amount of ₹ 7,02,00,000/- disclosed during the course of search and seizure action. The assessment was completed under section 143(3) read with section 153B(1)(b) of the Act on 14th December, 2016 accepting the returned income. The AO initiated the penalty proceedings under section 271AAB by issuing show cause notices dated 22nd December, 2016 and thereafter on 15th May, 2017. The assessee filed his reply to the show cause notice but the same was not accepted by the AO and consequently a penalty of ₹ 70,20,000/- was imposed under section 271AAB of the Act while passing the order dated 14th June, 2017. The assessee challenged the action of the AO before the ld. CIT (A) being wrong, unwarranted and bad in law. However, the ld. CIT (A) has confirmed the levy of penalty by holding that the penalty under section 271AAB is mandatory in nature. 3. Before us, the ld. A/R of the assessee has submitted that the AO while issuing the show cause notice under section 274 read with section 271AAB has not specified the default of the assessee in terms of clause (a) to (c) of section 271AAB .....

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..... ing the search and seizure action is undisclosed income as per the definition provided in the explanation to section 271AAB of the IT Act. 4. On the other hand, the ld. D/R has submitted that the levy of penalty under section 271AAB is mandatory in nature and, therefore, the AO is not required to specify the clause as per sub-section (1) of section 271AAB of the Act in the show cause. He has referred to the explanatory note of Finance Bill, 2012 whereby the provisions of section 271AAB is inserted in the Statute and submitted that the legislature has made it clear that the penalty under section 271AAB is mandatory in nature. The ld. D/R has submitted that the assessee was very well aware about the default and the nature of income he has disclosed and surrendered during the statement recorded under section 132(4) of the IT Act. The surrender in question was made because the assessee was unable to explain the source of the investment in question. It is a clear case of undisclosed income detected during the course of search and seizure action and, therefore, the surrender made by the assessee himself is self-explanatory to the nature of income surrendered by the assessee. The ld .....

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..... dvances for land Ann. A-2 Exhibit No.2 1-6 50,00,000/- Advances for land Total Amount 7,02,00,000/- It is pertinent to note that the disclosure of additional income in the statement recorded under section 132(4) itself is not sufficient to levy the penalty under section 271AAB of the Act until and unless the income so disclosed by the assessee falls in the definition of undisclosed income defined in the explanation to section 271AAB(1) of the Act. Therefore, the question whether the income disclosed by the assessee is undisclosed income in terms of the definition under section 271AAB of the Act has to be considered and decided in the penalty proceedings. Since the assessee has offered the said income in the return of income filed under section 139(1) of the Act, therefore, the question of taking any decision by the AO in the assessment proceedings about the true nature of surrender made by the assessee does not arise and only when the AO has proposed to levy the penalty then it is a pre-condition for invoking the provisions of .....

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..... the income of the assessee. It is most likely that the investment in question was made from the unaccounted income of preceding years. Hence the investment in the real estate itself would not reveal the nature of income and the source of income of the year under consideration. It is a pre-condition for invoking the provisions of section 271AAB that the assessee admitted the undisclosed income in the statement under section 132(4). The definition of undisclosed income is provided in section 271AAB itself and, therefore, the AO in the proceedings under section 271AAB has to examine all the facts of the case and then arrive to the conclusion that the income disclosed by the assessee falls in the definition of undisclosed income as stipulated in the explanation to said section. The first question arises is whether the levy of penalty under section 271AAB is mandatory and consequential to the disclosure of income by the assessee under section 132(4) or the AO has to take a decision whether the given case has satisfied the requirements for levy of penalty under section 271AAB of the Act. In order to consider this issue, the provisions of section 271AAB are to be analyzed. For ready re .....

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..... f the search, in a statement under sub-section (4) of section 132 , admits the undisclosed income and specifies the manner in which such income has been derived; (ii) substantiates the manner in which the undisclosed income was derived; and (iii) on or before the specified date- (A) pays the tax, together with interest, if any, in respect of the undisclosed income; and (B) furnishes the return of income for the specified previous year declaring such undisclosed income therein; (b) a sum computed at the rate of sixty per cent of the undisclosed income of the specified previous year, if it is not covered under the provisions of clause (a).] (2) No penalty under the provisions of 53 [ section 270A or] clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 271 shall be imposed upon the assessee in respect of the undisclosed income referred to in sub-section (1) 52 [or sub-section (1A)]. (3) The provisions of sections 274 and 275 shall, as far as may be, apply in relation to the penalty referred to in this section. Explanation.-For the purposes of this section,- (a) specified date means the due date of furnishing of return of .....

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..... lling the conditions as prescribed u/s 271AAB of the Act is required to be considered by the AO and particularly whether the explanation furnished by the assessee is bonafide and non-compliance of the same is due to the reason beyond the control of the assessee. Therefore, the penalty u/s 271AAB is not a consequential act but the AO has to first initiate proceedings by issuing a show cause notice and after considering the explanation and reply of the assessee has to take a decision. This requirement of giving an opportunity of hearing itself makes it clear that the penalty u/s 271AAB is not mandatory but the AO has to take a decision based on the facts and circumstances of the case otherwise there is no requirement of issuing any notice for initiation of proceedings but the levy of penalty would be consequential and only computation of the quantum was to be done by the AO as in the case of levy of interest and fee u/s 234A to E. Even the quantum of penalty leviable u/s 271AAB is also subject to the condition prescribed under clauses (a) to (c) of sub-section (1) and the AO has to again give a finding for levy of penalty @ 10% or 20% or 30% of the undisclosed income. Thus the AO is .....

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..... tly mentioned by the AO in the caption. However, the AO will get the benefit of section 292BB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 because firstly, the assessee has raised no objection before the AO in this regard. Secondly, last line of the notice clearly mentions section 271AAB. Thirdly, the assessee has given reply to said notice which shows that the assessee fully comprehended the implication of the notice that it is for section 271AAB. The assessee has also challenged that the principles of natural justice has not followed by the AO. The detailed submissions of A.R in this regard has already been reproduced above. The A.R did not produce any evidence to show that he was not given proper opportunity of hearing. It is clear from the penalty order that the AO has given penalty notice and which was also replied by the assessee. Therefore, in my opinion, principle of natural justice has not been violated. Thus in view of above discussion penalty imposed by AO u/s 271AAB of the Act is confirmed. Thus it was found by the Hon ble High Court that the mistake in mentioning the section in the show cause notice is covered under section 292BB and the AO will get the benefit of the s .....

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..... ied previous year, if such assessee- (i) in the course of search, in a statement under sub-section (4) of section 132, admits the undisclosed income and specifies the manner in which such income has been derived. (ii) Substantiates the manner in which the undisclosed income was derived; and (iii) On or before the specified date- (A) pays the tax, together with interest, if any, in respect of the undisclosed income; and (B) furnishes the return of income for the specified previous year declaring such undisclosed income therein; (b) a sum computed at the rate of twenty per cent of the undisclosed income of the specified previous year, if such assessee- (i) in the course of the search, in a statement under sub-section (4_) of section 132, does not admit the undisclosed income; and (ii) on or before the specified date- (A) declares such income in the return of income furnished for the specified previous year; and (B) pays the tax, together with interest, if any, in respect of the undisclosed income; (c) a sum which shall not be less than thirty per cent but which shall not exceed ninety per cent of the undisclosed income of the spe .....

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..... g penalty shall be made unless the assessee has been heard or has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard. Therefore, from plain reading of section 271AAB of the Act, it is evident that the penalty cannot be imposed unless the assessee is given a reasonable opportunity and assessee is being heard. Once the opportunity is given to the assessee, the penalty cannot be mandatory and it is on the basis of the facts and merits placed before the A.O. Once the A.O. is bound by the Act to hear the assessee and to give reasonable opportunity to explain his case, there is no mandatory requirement of imposing penalty, because the opportunity of being heard and reasonable opportunity is not a mere formality but it is to adhere to the principles of natural justice. Hon ble A.P. High Court in the case of Radhakrishna Vihar in ITTA No.740/2011 while dealing with the penalty u/s 158BFA held that we are of the opinion that while the words shall be liable under sub section (1) of section 158BFA of the Act that are entitled to be mandatory, the words may direct in sub section 2 there of intended to directory . In other words, while payment of interest is mandatory levy of penalty is discre .....

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..... onclusion that the assessee has not recorded the undisclosed income in the books of accounts or in the other documents / record maintained in normal course relating to specified previous year, the show cause notice shall also specify the default committed by the assessee to attract the penalty @ 10% or 20% or 30% of the undisclosed income. There is no dispute that the AO has not specified the default and charge against the assessee which necessitated the levy of penalty under section 271AAB of the Act. Consequently, the assessee was not given an opportunity to explain his case for specific default attracting the levy of penalty in terms of clauses (a) to (c) of section 271AAB(1) of the Act. The Channai Bench of the Tribunal in the case of DCIT vs. Shri R. Elangovan (supra) at pages 7 to 10 has held as under :- It is clear from the Sub Section (3) of Section 271 AAB that Sections 274 and Section 275 of the Act shall, so far as may be, apply. Sub Section (1) of Section 274 of the Act mandates that order imposing penalty has to be imposed only after hearing the assessee or giving a assessee opportunity of hearing. Opportunity that is to be given to the assessee should be a mean .....

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..... er is covered by judgment of the Division Bench of this Court, we are of the opinion, no substantial question of law arises in this appeal for determination by this Court. The appeal is accordingly dismissed . In the earlier case of Manjunatha Cotton and Ginning Factory (supra) their lordship had observed as under:- Notice under section 274 of the Act should specifically state the grounds mentioned in section 271(1)(c), i.e., whether it is for concealment of income or for furnishing of incorrect particulars of income. Sending printed form where all the grounds mentioned in section 271 are mentioned would not satisfy the requirement of law ; The assessee should know the grounds which he has to meet specifically. Otherwise, the principles of natural justice are offended. On the basis of such proceedings, no penalty could be imposed on the assessee ; ) taking up of penalty proceedings on one limb and finding the assessee guilty of another limb is bad in law ; penalty proceedings are distinct from the assessment proceedings : though proceedings for imposition of penalty emanate from proceedings of assessment, they are independent and a separate aspect of the proc .....

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..... lf of this opportunity of being heard in person or through Authorized Representative, you may show cause in writing on or before the date fixed for hearing on 11.01.2017 at 11.00 AM which will be considered before any such order (s) is/are made. Sd/- ( Kamlesh Kumar Meena ) Dy. Commissioner of Income-tax, Central Circle-2, Jaipur. NOTICE UNDER SECTION 274 READ WITH SECTION 271 READ WITH SECTION 271AAB OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961. Date : 15-05-2017. To, Name M/s./Shri/Smt. Ram Das Sonkia Address Pitaliyon Ka Chowk, Johari Bazar, Jaipur PAN AJTPS 9679 M Whereas in the course of assessment proceedings for the AY 2015-16 penalty proceedings were initiated u/s 274 and 275 read with the section u/s 271AAB of the IT Act and a penalty notice was issued accordingly. You are hereby allowed further opportunity of being heard and to show cause why an order imposing penalty on you should not be made u/s 271AAB of the Income Tax Act 1961. If you do not wish to avail yourself of this opportunity of being heard in person or through Authorized Representative, you may show cause in writing on or before the date fixed for hearing on 25.05.2017 at 11.00 AM whic .....

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..... contended that the said seized documents are nothing but dumb and deaf papers without indicating any undisclosed income of the assessee. The assessee has surrendered the income just to buy peace and avoid unnecessary litigation, however, there is no iota of evidence that the surrendered income was undisclosed income of the assessee. All the entries in the seized documents are written against some imaginary names and figures and do not represent any actual transaction but only for sake of obtaining the surrender from the assessee, the search party has forced upon these documents on the assessee. The ld. A/R has referred to the CBDT Circular No. 286 of 2003 dated 10th March, 2003 and submitted that the CBDT expressed its concern about the practice of confession of additional income during the course of search and seizure proceedings which do not serve any useful purpose in the absence of any evidence of income which leads to information on what has not been disclosed or is not likely to be disclosed. Hence the ld. A/R has submitted that the Board has time and again advised the taxing authorities to avoid obtaining an admission/confession of undisclosed income under coercive/undue inf .....

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..... h. The diary was also maintaining as books of account. In this diary all the entries are for the current financial year i.e. from 01.04.2014 to the date of search i.e. 15.10.2014. Nothing adverse was found which suggest that the assessee s income was not disclosed in the income recorded in the seized documents. Therefore, there is no material or evidence to show that the surrendered income was undisclosed income of the assessee. Therefore, in view of the various decisions on this point, the penalty levied by the AO and confirmed by the ld. CIT (A) is not sustainable in law. 8. On the other hand, the ld. D/R has submitted that the assessee has disclosed undisclosed income based on the seized material containing the entries on account of advances for land. The entries in the seized material pertains to the specified previous year and, therefore, all the conditions as provided under section 271AAB of the Act are satisfied for levy of penalty. He has relied upon the orders of the authorities below. 9. We have considered the rival submissions as well as the relevant material on record. As apparent from the seized documents, the assessee disclosed the income of ₹ 7,02,00,000/ .....

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..... essential to establish that the assessee has actually entered into these transactions and paid the advances. In the absence of such fact or the land for which the advances were given or the full particulars of the persons to show that the names appearing in the seized documents are real existing persons, these entries in the seized documents would not constitute undisclosed income on account of advances for land. Therefore, without ascertaining the full particulars of the persons in whose names the entries are made, it is possible that all these names are imaginary and not the names of any existing persons. The vague entries itself do not represent the real transaction and consequently the undisclosed income of the assessee. The Coordinate Bench of this Tribunal in case of Rajendra Kumar Gupta vs. DCIT (supra) has considered the issue of out flow of funds from the assessee can be an undisclosed income for the purpose of section 271AAB of the Act in para 21 as under :- 21. During the course of search, a note book (diary) has been found referred to as Ann. AS wherein there are certain notings relating to cash advances given to various persons totaling to ₹ 82,80,000. Refe .....

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..... purposes that have been brought on the statute book and have therefore to be applied in the context of provisions wherein they have been brought on the statue book and not otherwise. In the instant case, the deeming provisions contained in section 69 and section 69B could have been applied in the context of bringing to tax such investments to tax in the quantum proceedings, though the fact of the matter is that the AO has not even invoked the said deeming provisions in the quantum proceedings. Therefore, even on this account, the deeming fiction cannot be extended to the penalty proceedings which are separate and distinct from the assessment proceedings and more so, where the provisions of section 271AAB provide for a specific definition of undisclosed income. Where a specific definition of undisclosed income has been provided in Section 271AAB, being a penal provision, the same must be strictly construed and in light of satisfaction of conditions specified therein and it is not expected to examine other provisions where the same has been defined or deemed for the purposes of bringing the amount to tax. In light of the same, the undisclosed investment by way of advances can be sub .....

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..... mandatory. The entries of investment in real estate were found recorded in the diary and in the absence of any other document maintained in the normal course relating to the year under consideration, the entries in the diary are to be considered as recorded in the documents maintained in the normal course. It is not the case of the revenue that the assessee has recorded the other transactions in the other documents maintained in the regular course relating to the year under consideration and only these entries are recorded in the diary. Since the levy of penalty under section 271AAB is not based on the addition and enquiry conducted by the AO in the assessment proceedings, therefore, it is incumbent on the AO to conduct a proper examination of facts, circumstances and explanation furnished by the assessee before arriving to the conclusion that penalty under section 271AAB is leviable and further whether it is 10% or 20% or 30% of such undisclosed income. Therefore, the AO is under statutory obligation to examine all the issues during the proceedings under section 271AAB after giving the assessee an opportunity to explain the charges/grounds on which the penalty is proposed to be l .....

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..... ssions and gone through the facts and circumstances of the case. We note that the AO has levied the penalty u/s. 271AAB on the ground that the income from commodity profit has been found during search u/s.132 of the Act which is not reflected in the regular books of account. The AO has accepted that during search the assessee has admitted u/s. 132(4) of the Act the income from speculative trading. The undisputed facts the AO has given finding pertaining to this case is as follows: i) The assessee has substantiated the manner in which the income was derived. ii) Furnished the return of income therein and iii) Paid the tax along with interest. Based on the said finding, according to AO, the assessee satisfies the conditions enumerated in sec. 271AAB(i)(a) of the Act and thereafter levied ten percent of ₹ 3 cr., which have been deleted by the impugned order of Ld. CIT(A). 4. The Ld. DR brought to our notice that in the very same group case of Manoj Beswal Ors. the Tribunal had confirmed the levy of penalty and contended before us that penalty u/s. 271AAB of the Act is mandatory and therefore, according to Ld. DR, the Ld. CIT(A) erred in deleting the pe .....

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..... elied upon by Ld. DR, Manoj Beswal, supra, have been recalled in MA Nos. 218 to 220/Kol/2017 dated 12.01.2018 by observing as under: By virtue of these miscellaneous applications, the assessee seeks to recall the order passed by this Tribunal in I.T.A. Nos. 1471, 1475 1476/Kol/2015 in the hands of Amit Agarwal, Madan Lal Beswal and Manoj Beswal respectively for the assessment year 2013-14 on the ground that notice was not served on the assessee for the hearing and on certain factual error that had crept in the order of the Tribunal. The first preliminary objection raised by the Ld. AR was that the notice of hearing was not served on the assessee for the hearing scheduled on 06.11.2017 and hence, the assessee could not be present on the said date by way of personal appearance. The second objection raised by the Ld. AR was that the Tribunal had stated in para 9 of its order that the assessee himself had accepted that he is engaged in commodities trading business and therefore mandated to maintain books of accounts in terms of section 44AA of the Act and thereby inferring that the assessee had reported the profit from commodities trading business under the head income from busi .....

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..... o Ld. AR was accepted as such by the AO and drew our attention to page one of assessment order, (not the penalty order) wherein we note that the AO has acknowledged that the assessee owned up ₹ 3 cr. as his income from commodity profit and it has been disclosed in his income and expenditure for AY 2013-14 under the head income out of speculative business from sale of commodities , and thereafter the AO confirmed the assessee s claim and thereafter total income was assessed by the AO as per the return submitted by the assessee. In the light of the aforesaid facts discerned from assessment order, the assessee s case is that for the first time in this AY he was doing unsystematic speculative activity which earned income and, it was brought under the head Income from Other Sources , and so, accordingly, he is not required to maintain books of account as stipulated in Sec. 44AA or Sec. 44AA(2)(ii) of the Act because, these provisions are only for assesses who are earning income under the head Business or profession . We note that Sec. 44AA or Sec. 44AA(2)(ii) of the Act casts a duty upon the assessee who are into Business or Profession and such assessee s are bound to maintai .....

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..... cuments (including inventories, wherever necessary) to be kept and maintained under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), the particulars to be contained therein and the form and the manner in which and the place at which they shall be kept and maintained. (4) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (3), the Board may prescribe, by rules, the period for which the books of account and other documents to be kept and maintained under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be retained.] So from a reading of the above provisions which clearly stipulates that assessee who are carrying on business or profession shall keep and maintain such books of account and other documents which may enable the AO to compute the total income. We note that assessee in the statement of total income filed before the AO has shown income only under two heads (i) salary income (ii) income from other sources. We would like to reproduce the summary of total income of the assessee filed along with the return: Income from Salary ₹ 45,57,600 Income from Other sources Rs.3,00,24,047 .....

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..... vidual/company is chargeable to tax u/s. 4 of the Act. The total income has to be computed in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Section 14 of the Act lays down that for the purpose of computation, income of an assessee has to be classified under five heads. It is possible for an assessee/individual/company to have five different sources of income, each one of it will be chargeable to Income Tax Act. Profits and gains of business or profession is only one of the heads under which an assessee s income is liable to be assessed to tax. If an assessee has not commenced business there cannot be any question of assessment of its profits and gains of business. That does not mean that until and unless the assessee commences its business, its income from any other source will not be taxed as held by the Hon ble Supreme Court in the case of Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals Ltd. Vs. CIT (1997) 227 ITR 172 (SC). It has been further held that when the question is whether a receipt of money is taxable or not or whether certain deduction from that receipt is principles of law and not in accordance with accountancy practice. Further, the Hon ble Apex Court held that the question as to whether .....

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..... dings without contesting and making a finding against the claim of the assessee in the assessment order as discussed above. 7. Finally, the Ld. AR submitted that during the search, the search party found the records of the assessee s transactions in speculative commodity from the drawer of assessee s accountant from which the AO could compute the income of the assessee from the said transaction which amount assessee declared during search and which was duly returned and which figure was accepted by the AO. According to Ld. AR, the fact that search happened on 01.08.2012 need to be taken note of since undisputedly there was enough and more time for the assessee to submit the accounts during assessment proceedings which fact has been taken note of and concurred by the Ld. CIT(A). Thereafter, the Ld. AR drew our attention to the definition of undisclosed income given under section 271AAB which reads as under: Penalty where search has been initiated. '271AAB. (1) The Assessing Officer may, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, direct that, in a case where search has been initiated under section 132 on or after the 1st day of July, .....

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..... normal course relating to the AY 2013-14, which document was retrieved during search, hence, the amount of ₹ 3 cr. offered by the assessee does not fall in the ken of undisclosed income defined in Sec. 271AAB of the Act. So, ₹ 3 cr. which was commodity profit recorded in the other document maintained by the assessee which was retrieved during search cannot be termed as undisclosed Income in the definition given u/s. 271AAB of the Act. Since ₹ 3 cr. cannot be termed as Undisclosed Income as per sec. 271AAB of the Act, no penalty can be levied against the assessee. Therefore, we uphold the order of the Ld. CIT(A) on the aforesaid reasoning rendered by us. 8. In the result, the appeal of the revenue is dismissed. 4. We find that the facts in the aforesaid case and the decision rendered thereon are squarely applicable to the facts of the instant cases before us and respectfully following the same, we dismiss the appeals of the revenue. Therefore, when the assessee is not required to maintain the books of account as per section 44AA, then the matter is required to be examined whether the alleged undisclosed income is recorded in the other documents .....

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