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TMI Blog2024 (8) TMI 1138X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... , ITA 640/2023, ITA 641/2023, ITA 642/2023, ITA 643/2023, ITA 644/2023, ITA 645/2023, ITA 652/2023, ITA 653/2023, ITA 659/2023, ITA 2/2024, ITA 3/2024, ITA 14/2023 & ITA 21/2024 1. These set of appeals arise out of a common order handed out by Income Tax Appellate Tribunal ["Tribunal"] dated 08 February 2023 and pose the following questions of law for our consideration: - "I. Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon'ble ITAT is correct in allowing the appeal of the assessee and quashing the assessment order by holding that the approval has been given mechanically without application of mind despite the fact that Range Head was fully involved in each and every aspect of this case and had duly applied his mind in the process of completion of assessment proceedings. II. Whether on the facts and circumstances of the case and in law, the Hon'ble ITAT is correct in ignoring the fact that during the course of revision order u /s 264 of the Act, CIT has categorically stated that AO and Range Head are of the view that addition have been made because of non-filing of details by the assessee and submissions made required further verification and investi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ultimately found that the competent authority chose to accord approval to as many as 246 proposed assessments by way of a single letter of approval. That approval reads as follows: "The above draft orders, as proposed, are hereby accorded approval with the direction to ensure that the orders are passed well before limitation period. Further , copies of final orders so passed be sent to this office for record." 3. It is the aforesaid facts which appear to have constrained the Tribunal to observe as follows: "13. We have given thoughtful consideration to the orders of the authorities below and have carefully perused all the relevant documentary evidences brought on record. We have also gone through each and every approval granted by the Additional Commissioner of Income tax, Central Range - 2 , New Delhi vis- a - vis, each and every proposal made by the DCIT, Central Circle - 15 , New Delhi. 14. The issue which we have to decide is, can these approvals be treated as fulfilling the mandate of provisions of section 153 D of the Act vis - a- vis legislative intent of the said section in the statute. Section 153 D of the Act reads as under : "No order of assessment or reassessme ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s that the superior authorities should apply their minds on the material on the basis of which the officer is making the assessment and after due application of mind and on the basis of seized materials, the superior authorities have to approve the assessment order. xxxx xxxx xxxx 18. In light of the afore-stated relevant provisions and legislative intent , approval dated 08.03.7.013 is in respect of 62 assessment orders as exhibited at pages 136 and 137 of the Index to Convenience Compilation furnished by the ld. counsel for the assessee. Approval dated 15.03.2013 is in respect of 37 assessment orders as exhibited at pages 138 and 139. Approval dated 18.03.2013 is in respect of 54 assessment orders as exhibited at pages 140 and 141. Approval dated 21.03.2013 is in respect of 24 assessment orders as exhibited at pages 142 and 143 and approval dated 25.02.2013 is in respect of 69 assessment orders as per exhibits in the Convenient Compilation. 19. Thus, the worthy Additional Commissioner of Income tax, Central Range - 2, New Delhi gave approval to 246 assessment order by a single approval letter u/s 153 D of the Act by mentioning as under: "The above draft orders, as propose ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... oner or the Principal Commissioner or the Commissioner or the Joint Commissioner, as the case may be, being satisfied on the reasons recorded by the Assessing Officer about fitness of a case for the issue of notice under Section 148, need not issue such notice himself." 15. A plain reading of the aforesaid provision would indicate that Section 151 of the Act stipulates that the Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner or Principal Commissioner or Commissioner must be "satisfied", on the reasons recorded by the AO, that it is a fit case for the issuance of such notice. Thus, the satisfaction of the prescribed authority is a sine qua non for a valid approval as per the said Section. xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx 17. Thus, the incidental question which emanates at this juncture is whether simply penning down "Yes" would suffice requisite satisfaction as per Section 151 of the Act. Reference can be drawn from the decision of this Court in N. C. Cables Ltd., wherein, the usage of the expression "approved" was considered to be merely ritualistic and formal rather than meaningful. The relevant paragraph of the said decision reads as under:- "11. Section 151 of the Act clearly stipula ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ur opinion is fortified by the decision of the apex court in Union of India v. M.L. Capoor, (1973) 2 SCC 836 : AIR 1974 SC 87, 97 wherein it was observed as under: "27.. .. We find considerable force in the submission made on behalf of the respondents that the 'rubber stamp' reason given mechanically for the supersession of each officer does not amount to 'reasons for the proposed supersession'. The most that could be said for the stock reason is that it is a general description of the process adopted in arriving at a conclusion. 28.. .. If that had been done, facts on service records of officers considered by the Selection Committee would have been correlated to the conclusions reached. Reasons are the links between the materials on which certain conclusions are based and the actual conclusions. They disclose how the mind is applied to the subject-matter for a decision whether it is purely administrative or quasi-judicial. They should reveal a rational nexus between the facts considered and the conclusions reached. Only in this way can opinions or decisions recorded be shown to be manifestly just and reasonable." (emphasis supplied)" 19. In the case of Chhugamal Rajpal, the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... n, much less an unassailable satisfaction, for the said purpose. 22. So far as the decision relied upon the Revenue in the case of Meenakshi Overseas Pvt. Ltd. is concerned, the same was a case where the satisfaction was specifically appended in the proforma in terms of the phrase-"Yes, I am satisfied". Moreover, paragraph 16 of the said decision distinguishes the approval granted using the expression "Yes" by citing Central India Electric Supply, which has already been discussed above. The decision in the case of Experion Developers P. Ltd. would also not come to the rescue of the Revenue as the same does not deal with the expression used in the instant appeal at the time of granting of approval. 23. Therefore, it is seen that the PCIT has failed to satisfactorily record its concurrence. By no prudent stretch of imagination, the expression "Yes" could be considered to be a valid approval. In fact, the approval in the instant case is apparently akin to the rubber stamping of "Yes" in the case of Central India Electric Supply." 5. In view of the aforesaid, we find no justification to interfere with the view expressed by the Tribunal. No substantial question of law arises. The a ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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