Calcutta High Court
Smt. Bidya Devi vs Commissioner Of Income-Tax And Ors. on 15 May, 2003
Equivalent citations: AIR2004CAL63, (2003)184CTR(CAL)97, [2003]263ITR52(CAL), AIR 2004 CALCUTTA 63, (2003) 9 ALLINDCAS 313 (CAL), (2003) 263 ITR 52, (2004) 179 TAXATION 73, (2003) 131 TAXMAN 735, (2003) 4 CAL HN 255, (2003) 184 CURTAXREP 97
Author: Dilip Kumar Seth
Bench: Dilip Kumar Seth
JUDGMENT Dilip Kumar Seth, J.
1. This is an application for review of an order passed on June 12, 2000, in F. M. A. No. 484 of 2000-[2000] 245 ITR 196 (F. M. A. T. No. 3124 of 1992) by the Division Bench presided over by Mr. Justice Y. R. Meena and Mr. Justice R. K. Mazumdar, as their Lordships then were.
2. Mr. Prosad has taken three grounds, the first of which is that while the judgment was reserved, Mr. Prosad was asked to submit his written notes on submissions but before written notes on submissions could be submitted the judgment was delivered. Mr. Prosad, in his written notes of submission, had cited some decisions, which he could not cite at the time of hearing. Since the judgment was delivered before he could submit his written submissions, those decisions were not considered, and further the court had assured that there would be further hearing before the delivery of the judgment but that was not adhered to. The second question he raised is that the court did not take into consideration the law as it stood on June 12, 2000, in respect of the interpretation of Section 179 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, as was amended with effect from October 1, 1975. The court had relied on the decision passed by the Kerala High Court, which, according to him, was not applicable. It did not consider the decision of the Bombay High Court in Union of India v. Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar [1988] 172 ITR 1 holding the field. Therefore, the judgment is per incuriam, which is a mistake apparent on record. The third question that he has raised is that the company went into liquidation even before the husband of the petitioner ceased to be the director of the company. Therefore, on the facts the court had committed a mistake apparent from the record.
3. We have gone through the decision sought to be reviewed, namely, the decision in F. M. A. No. 484 of 2000 (F. M. A. T. No. 3124 of 1992) disposed of on June 12, 2000, since reported in Smt. Bidya Devi v. CIT [2000] 245 ITR 196. It appears from the said decision (June 12, 2000) that the court had taken note of an earlier order passed by this court between the parties in respect of the self-same question passed in C. O. No. 154(W) of 1985 on February 17, 1986, by Mr. Justice Suhas Chandra Sen, as his Lordship then was. In the said order (dated February 17, 1986) the court had held that the amendment of Section 179 effective from October 1, 1975, was not retrospective. The assessment for the year 1974-75 would be governed by the Income-tax Act as it stood on April 1, 1975 (page 100 of the paper book). Therefore, the amended provision could not be invoked in the case of the petitioner. It was also held (page 100 of the paper book) that unless the company was shown to have gone into liquidation at the time when the director had ceased to be a director, Section 179 had no manner of application. However, the case was remanded to the Income-tax Officer for proper decision. It is noted in the decision (dated June 12, 2000) that the Assessing Officer found that the company had not gone into liquidation. No appeal was preferred against the order of the Assessing Officer. There was a suo motu revision by the Commissioner under Section 263 of the Income-tax Act, against which this writ petition has been filed. The Commissioner has not recorded any finding that the company had gone into liquidation. On the other hand, he had proceeded on the basis of the decision in Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 (Bom) and had held that it is immaterial whether the company had gone into liquidation or not and had applied Section 179 as amended with effect from October 1, 1975. This has since been challenged in this writ proceeding out of which this appeal arises.
4. The court in the decision dated June 12, 2000, had taken note of all these situations. Even if we assume that the contention of Mr. Prosad was not considered while delivering the judgment and that the situation in law was wrongly appreciated, even then we cannot help because of the fact that in the decision by this court between the parties in C. O. No. 154(W) of 1985 disposed of on February 17, 1986, in respect of the self-same question, it was held that the provision of Section 179 was not retrospective and could not be attracted. This decision is binding inter se the parties and the court cannot go behind the same. The order by the Assessing Officer or the Commissioner could not run contrary to the said finding. It further appears that the Division Bench in its order dated June 12, 2000, had noticed the decision in Manik Dattatreya Lottikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 (Bom) as well as the decision by the Kerala High Court in Ratanlall Murarka v. ITO . While dealing with those decisions, it had held that the Kerala High Court was not dealing with the question of retrospectivity of the amendment of Section 179 and, therefore, it had no manner of application. Whereas about the Bombay High Court decision in Month Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 it was held to be inapplicable in the present facts and circumstances of the case. In as much as the Division Bench in the decision dated June 12, 2000, had held that this question was concluded between the parties by the decision dated February 17, 1986, in C. O. No. 154(W) of 1985 remanding the case to the Assessing Officer. The scope of remand was limited to the extent of finding as to whether the company had gone into liquidation on the basis of the determination by the court in the order dated February 17, 1986, that the husband of the petitioner would not be liable unless the company had gone into liquidation, after holding that the amendment of Section 179 was not retrospective. This finding would stare on the face of the parties and operate as res judicata. On this distinctive feature, the Division Bench had held that the Bombay decision in Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 would be inapplicable in the present case.
5. In our view, it was so held rightly. In as much as the Assessing Officer was bound by the said order of remand. The order of remand is confined only to the extent it was remanded. The Assessing Officer could not sit in appeal over the decision by the order of remand. The matters finally disposed of by the order of remand cannot be reopened when the matter comes back after the final order upon remand on appeal or otherwise to the court remanding the matter. If no appeal is preferred against the order of remand, the matters finally decided in the order of remand can neither be subsequently reagitated before the court to which remanded nor before the court where the order passed upon remand is challenged in appeal or otherwise from such order. The court, to which the matter is remanded, has to act within the order of remand. It is not open to such court or authority to do anything but to carry out the terms of the remand even if it considers it to be not in accordance with law. Once a finality is reached, it cannot be reopened. Even if the Supreme Court holds otherwise even then the court cannot go back on its earlier order of remand. It can only be done through review of the order of remand. It cannot be achieved in the appeal against the order passed upon remand.
6. Therefore, the finding and the conclusion arrived at by the Division Bench in its order dated June 12, 2000, is a decision on the basis of admitted facts in respect of the implication of the order dated February 17, 1986, passed in C. O. No. 154(W) of 1985, which is a decision binding between the parties and had reached finality incapable of being reopened in the subsequent proceedings or appeal, as the case may be. Therefore, it cannot be attributed to be a mistake either on fact or in law. Such a question cannot be a subject matter of review. It could have been a subject matter of appeal.
7. The question of review under Section 154 or 254 of the Income-tax Act may have different implication. A review of an order passed by this court in writ jurisdiction is not subject to Section 154 or 254 of the Income-tax Act. At the same time, Section 141 of the Code of Civil procedure ("the CPC"), excludes its application to writ proceedings. Whereas the Appellate Side Rules (the AS Rules) for Article 226 of the Constitution in Rule 53 provides that save and except as provided in the Appellate Side Rules and subject thereto the procedure provided in the Code of Civil Procedure in regard to suits shall be followed, as far as it can be made applicable, in all proceedings for issue of a writ. The Appellate Side Rules do not provide for any procedure for review. Therefore, as far as it can be made applicable, the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure would apply in principle to a proceeding for review in connection with writ proceedings.
8. The principles enunciated under the Code of Civil Procedure in Section 114 read with Order 47 speak of error apparent on the face of the record. Order 47 envisages discovery of new and important matter of evidence, which after exercise of due diligence was either not within the knowledge of the applicant or could not be produced by him at the time when the judgment was delivered or on account of some mistake or error apparent on the face of the record or for any other sufficient reasons on which review can be asked for. In this case, it is not an evidence, which was not within the knowledge of Mr. Prosad or which could not be produced by him after due diligence. On the other hand, he contends that it was a mistake or error apparent on the face of the record and, particularly, a mistake in law. An error apparent on the face of the record cannot be defined precisely or exhaustively, there being an element of indefiniteness inherent in its very nature, it must be left to be determined judicially on the facts of each case (Hari Vishnu Kamath v. Ahmad Ishaque, ). Error is not one limited to one of fact; it includes obvious error of law. (M. K. Venkatachalam, ITO v. Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . Not mere error of fact or law, but error apparent on the face of the record is a ground for review. There is no real distinction between a mere erroneous decision and an error apparent on the face of the record. Where error of a substantial point of law stares one in the face, and there could reasonably be no two opinions, a clear case of error apparent on the face of the record would be made out (Thungabhadra Industries Ltd. v. Government of Andhra Pradesh, ). An error, which has to be established by a long drawn process of reasoning on points where there may conceivably be two opinions, can hardly be said to be an error apparent on the face of the record (Satyanarayan Laxminarayan Hegde v. Mallikarjun Bhavanappa Tirumale, ). If the law that was applied is not the law, which is applicable, it will be an error apparent on the face of the record (Raja Shatrunjit v. Mohammad Azmat Azim Khan, ). If the judgment is defective on the face of it in that it did not effectively deal with and determine an important issue on which depends the title of the plaintiff and the maintainability of the suit, this is certainly an error on the face of the record (Moran Mar Basselios Catholicos v. Most Rev. Mar Poulose Athanasius, AIR 1954 SC 526). There is no reason to construe the word "record" in a very restricted sense and include within that term only the document, which initiated the proceedings, the pleadings and the adjudication and exclude the evidence and other parts of the record (Moran Mar Basselios Catholicos v. Most Rev. Mar Poulose Athanasius, AIR 1954 SC 526). The mistake or error is not confined to the judgment itself, but on any document constituting the records. Error apparent on the face of the record is an error, which can be seen by a mere perusal of the record without reference to any other matter. We had occasion to deal with such question in A. P; O. T. No. 735 of 2002 (Vijay Mallya v. Asst. CIT [2003] 263 ITR 41 (Cal)), disposed of on May 12, 2003. The mistake must be patent and self-evident in respect of which there cannot be two different views.
9. In this case, having regard to the decision, it is not possible to describe the same that it has been decided in ignorance of the settled principle of law and that there is an error in law staring on the face. Even if the decision could be said to be erroneous, still then the same could not have been subjected to review. However, on the facts, we do not find the said decision to be an erroneous decision, not to speak of any error staring on the face to be construed to mean one apparent on the face of the record.
10. We are of the view that there is no error in fact or law in this case. The earlier decision (dated February 17, 1986) had conclusively determined the issue between the parties and is binding and would operate as res judicata. So far as the third question is concerned, the Assessing Officer had found that there was no material to hold that the company had gone into liquidation. The Commissioner in the proceedings under Section 263 has also not found that the company had gone into liquidation. On the other hand, he had proceeded on the basis of the decision of the Bombay High Court in Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1. Therefore, there was no error in fact on the question of the company having been gone to liquidation, in order to bring the question within the scope and ambit of the principle for review.
11. The allegation that the decision in Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 (Bom) was not considered by the Division Bench in its order dated June 12, 2000, and had proceeded on the basis of the Kerala decision does not seem to be correct as has been sought to be pointed out by Mr. Prosad. The Division Bench had proceeded simply on the basis of the decision in the earlier proceedings between the parties that operate as res judicata. Therefore, even no question of mistake in law does seem to be apparent from the record.
12. With regard to the allegation that the court had delivered the judgment without waiting for the written submission submitted by Mr. Prosad, there is nothing on record to substantiate such a situation. Mr. Prosad had attempted to rely on the affidavits filed after June 12, 2000. But while considering such a question, the court cannot look into any materials, which were not brought on record on the date when the order was passed. There is nothing in the order sheet to show that the court would be waiting to deliver the judgment after having reserved the same till the written notes are submitted and that there would be a further hearing on the question. Unless it is borne out by the record, the court is helpless in a proceeding for review. The review is concerned only on the basis of an error apparent from the record. It cannot enter into a process of taking evidence to establish something, which is not on record in order to create records for the purpose. The court is not supposed to entertain such statements in review. If such questions are entertained, it would open a pandora's box and lead to great anomalies, which is undesirable. Even then the allegation that in the absence of the written notes, the court had omitted to take note of the decision in Manik Dattatreya Lotlikar's case [1988] 172 ITR 1 (Bom) is also wholly unfounded. In as much as the court had taken note of the said decision, but had held having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case and the situation in law on the basis of the admitted facts, the said decision had no manner of application. Therefore, the first submission of Mr, Prosad cannot be sustained.
13. Thus, we do not find any ingredient in the present case in order to admit the application for review in the absence of any ground, which Mr. Prosad could establish. None of the grounds taken in the petition conforms to the grounds available in review. We, therefore, are not inclined to admit this review application. The review application is, therefore, dismissed.
14. No order as to costs.
15. Urgent xerox certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied within seven days.
Rajendra Nath Sinha, J.
16. I agree.