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Showing contexts for: unsigned document in Sri. D.S. Suresh, Tarikere vs Assistant Commissioner Of Income Tax, ... on 22 February, 2021Matching Fragments
13. We have heard the rival contentions, perused and carefully considered the material on record. In the present case, the addition is based on the diary jottings found during the course of search action in the case of RNSIL on 16.02.2012. We have carefully gone through the diary jottings recorded earlier part of this order. It contains the entry No.5 - MLA Tarikere Rs.27 lakhs upto 31.07.2010. However, it does not specify date on which it was paid or who has paid. It is not possible to any person to say conclusively that it is relating to these assessment years being the absence of date of payment. Further it is only diary jottings not supported by corroborated material or any independent evidence. In other words, there should be a material on record to show that there is an undisclosed income on the basis of material on hand with the Assessing Officer and guess work is not possible. The Assessing Officer shall have the basis for assuming that there was a payment by RNSIL to the assessee which was not disclosed to the Department. The unsubstantiated diary jottings cannot be considered as a conclusive evidence to make any evidence towards undisclosed escaped income. It was held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of CBI Vs. V.C. Shukla 3 SCC 410 that "file containing loose sheets or papers are not books" and hence entry therein are not admissible u/s. 34 of the Evidence Act, 1872. In the present case, the seized material having certain entries are found, regarding amount which was presumed thus are illegal payments to the persons mentioned therein. These entries are ITA Nos.462 & 463/Bang/2020 unsubstantiated. On that basis one cannot reach to the conclusion that figures mentioned therein are the undisclosed payments in these assessment years under consideration to the present assessee. In our opinion, the documents relied on by the Assessing Officer for making addition in these assessment years was dumb document and lead nowhere since these diary jottings are not supported by any corroborative material or evidence to show that the information made by lower authorities is correct. Further unsigned document in the form of diary jottings cannot be relied upon for making or sustaining the addition. In the present case, more so, the Managing Director of RNSIL made a categoric statement in his letter that no payments were made to the assessee in the F.Y. 2008-09 to F.Y. 2010-11. Further even if the Assessing Officer wants to rely on the diary jottings to make an assessment or relying on the statement of any third party, the same is required to be furnished to the assessee and if the assessee wants to cross examine any of the parties whose statements were relied on by the Assessing Officer, the same is to be provided to the assessee In the present case, the assessee is having grievance for not furnishing the seized material to the assessee and there was no question of providing an opportunity of cross examining of the parties whose statements are relied on by the Assessing Officer while completing the assessment. In these circumstances, we are not in a position to uphold the addition sustained by the CIT(Appeals). The circumstances surrounding the case are not strong enough to ITA Nos.462 & 463/Bang/2020 justify the rejection of the assessee's plea of asking the copies of seized material and providing an opportunity of cross examination of the parties concerned. In view of above, we set aside the order of the lower authorities and allow the ground taken by the assessee in their appeals for both the assessment years under consideration.