Skip to main content
Indian Kanoon - Search engine for Indian Law
Document Fragment View
Matching Fragments
18. But the issue before us now remains is that whether the seized
material A/GAR/05 can be the basis for addition of Rs.2,55,50,000/-
As seen from the above seized materials, these are just hand
written loose documents. The Department got verified the
handwriting of the seized material A/GAR/05 from the Govt.
Examiner of Questioned Documents, Directorate of Forensic
Science, Govt. of India who had given report that on comparison of
the questioned documents and specimen writings of the assessee
and his family members the authorship of the questioned document
does not tally with the seized material A/GAR/05. But this report of
the handwriting experts is not binding on the Department. It is only
circumstantial evidence. There is no necessity to the Department to
prove the authorship of this document. The other plea of the
assessee is that the documents are planted one and it cannot be
relied for the purpose of assessment. Though the assessee refused
that the documents are not belong to him, the burden is cast upon
the assessee to prove conclusively that it does not belong to the
assessee. There is no presumption in law that the assessing officer
is supposed to discharge tax liability by direct evidence only and
thereupon the undisclosed income beyond doubt. The undisclosed
income of the assessee is to be computed by the assessing officer
on the basis of available record. In many a time, it is very important
to have direct evidence or conclusive evidence to prove to
determine the undisclosed income. When the assessee gives an
evasive reply to the assessing officer, he has no choice but to take
estimation of the income. The only thing is it should be reasonable
on the basis of material available on record. It should not be based
on conjunctures and surmises. As of now material considered by the
assessing officer for making the addition is only the seized material
marked as A/GAR/05 which is a notebook containing the details of
day to day ledger account of various persons to whom the money
was advanced. In view of this, we have to consider the seized
material A/GAR/05 to see whether it is enough to make addition. In
our opinion, this document is only note book/loose slips. We have to
look into the statement recorded u/s 132(4) or 132(4A) of the IT
Act. The seized material A/GAR/05 found during the course of
search and the statement recorded is some piece of evidence to
make an addition. The assessing officer has to establish the link
between the seized material A/GAR/05 and with other books of
accounts of the assessee. It cannot be considered alone as
conclusive evidence. The word 'may be presumed' appear in
section 132(4A) gives an option to the authorities concerned to
presume the things. But it is rebuttable and it does not give a
Sri Jagadamba Pearl Dealers &
Shri Ravinder Kumar
definite authority and conclusive evidence. The assessee has every
right to rebut the same by producing the same in support of his
claim. The entire case depends on the rule of evidence. The
assessee has every right to shift the burden of proof. There is no
conclusive presumption. In the present case, the assessee as well
as the assessee's son and also assessee's brother Shri S.K. Agarwal
categorically stated in every stage of examination and statement
recorded u/s 132(1) or132 that the seized material A/GAR/05 is not
at all belonged to them. In spite of this the assessing officer
proceeded to conclude that these seized materials are conclusively
belonged to the assessee. Leave alone the issue relating to
authorship of the document seized and the findings of the GEQD,
the Department should find out and establish the nexus of these
seized materials to the assessee's business while concluding block
assessment The assessing officer shall be specific about the nature
of nexus of the seized material to the business of the assessee. The
allegation of the Department is the seized material that reflected
money lending business of the assessee. But they are notable to
unearth any background with regard to the money lending business
like loan agreement, promissory notes, security details, bank
account receipts vouchers or any other corroborative evidence.
Without any of these, the department has taken a view that the
assessee is carrying on the money lending business. More so, there
are so many names of the persons whose addresses are not at all
traceable. The department not traced and examined any of them.
There is no information from any party that they have taken loan
from the assessee. There is no evidence as to whether they repaid
the loans towards the principal amount and interest. The
department cannot draw inference on the basis of suspicion,
conjuncture and surmise. Suspicion, however strong cannot take
place of material in support of the findings of the assessing officer.
The assessing officer should act in a judicial manner, proceed with
judicial spirit and should come to a judicial conclusion. The
assessing officer is required to act fairly as a reasonable person and
not arbitrarily and capriciously. Assessment made should have
adequate material and it should stand on its own legs. The
assessing officer without examining any party, who has taken the
loan from the assessee, cannot come to the conclusion that the
assessee lends money. The basis for addition is only note
book/loose slips. These note book/loose slips are unsigned
documents. The assessing officer has not established nexus
between the note book/loose slips and business of the assessee.
There is no narration regarding the address of the parties, the exact
amount of loan, period of advance, rate of interest and instalments
due. Also there is no evidence for repayment of money towards the
loan. There is no valid seized material to come to the conclusion
that the assessee has actually made an advance of that amount i.e.
Sri Jagadamba Pearl Dealers &
Shri Ravinder Kumar
Rs.2,55,50,000/- . The note book/loose slips marked A/GAR/05
found during the course of search is a dumb document having no
evidentiary value, no addition can be made in the absence of
corroborative material. If there is circumstantial evidence in the
form of promissory notes, loan agreement and address of the
parties or bank entries, the addition is to be made on that basis to
the extent of material available. The assessee is not expected to
explain the loose papers found as there is no evidence other than
note book/loose slips carrying on money lending business of the
assessee. The assessing officer has failed to prove the money
lending business carried on by the assessee on the basis of seized
material A/GAR/05. In our opinion, no addition can be made on the
basis of dumb documents/note book/loose slips in the absence of
any other material to show that the assessee has carried on money
lending business. Noting on the note book/diary/loose sheets are
required to be supported/ corroborated by other evidence and are
also include the statement of a person who admittedly is a party to
the noting and statement from all the persons whose names there
on the note book/loose slips and their statements to be recorded
and then such statement undoubtedly should be confronted to the
assessee and he has to be allowed to cross examine the parties. In
the present case, undoubtedly no statement from the parties whose
names found in the note book/loose slips has been recorded and
assessee such there is no question of cross examination of them
and entire addition in the hands of the assessee on the basis of
uncorroborated writings in the loose papers found during the course
of search is not possible. The evidence on record is not sufficient to
support the revenue's case that huge money lending business has
been carried on by the assessee outside the business of the
assessee. This is the block assessment and we are concerned only
with the undisclosed income and we have to consider only material
and evidence detected as a result of search. It means that if an
examination of the material already on record before search or if as
a result of some external information or some other sources other
than a search, it is found that some income had escaped
assessment and then it is open for the Assessing Officer to resort to
a regular assessment including reopening of a completed
assessment if so advised. But he cannot drag these items into the
block assessment proceedings envisaged under Chapter XIV-B of
the I.T. Act. In our opinion evidence available with the Assessing
Officer as a result of search is to be used for the purpose of
determining the undisclosed income of the block period. The
evidence, if any, relied on by the Assessing Officer for the purpose
of determining the undisclosed income of the block assessment is to
be put before the assessee for his comments before completing
assessment. More so, if the Assessing Officer wants to rely on the
statement of any third party the same is required to be furnished to
Sri Jagadamba Pearl Dealers &
Shri Ravinder Kumar
the assessee and if the assessee wants to cross examine any of the
parties whose statement was 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 providing the opportunity of
cross examining the parties whose statements were relied on by the
Assessing Officer while completing the assessment. The
circumstances surrounding the case are not strong enough to justify
the rejection of assessee's plea asking the opportunity of cross
examination. In view of this, we set aside the block assessment
order and remand back the matter to the file of the assessing
officer. We direct the Assessing Officer to give an opportunity of
cross examination of the parties as required by the assessee and
thereafter if there is any sufficient evidence other than the
unsubstantiated note book/loose slips marked as document
A/GAR/5 or if this document (viz., A/GAR/05) substantiated by any
other evidence to establish that the assessee is having undisclosed
income, then the Assessing Officer shall complete the assessment in
accordance with law determining the undisclosed income covering
this block period in addition to the other undisclosed income
uncontested before us. It is needless to say that the evidence to be
considered by the assessing officer for this block assessment is all
the evidence on record found as result of search or requisition of
books of account or other documents and such other materials or
information as are available with the Assessing Officer and relatable
to such evidence."