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Explanation 3.-- For the purpose of assessment or reassessment under this section, the Assessing Officer may assess or reassess the income in respect of any issue, which has escaped assessment, and such issue comes to his notice subsequently in the course of the proceedings under this section, notwithstanding that the reasons for such issue have not been included in the reasons recorded under sub- section (2) of section 148.‖

―Adverting to the next question as to whether the resorts to reassessments under ss. 147(b) and 148 of the Act were justified or not, it is noteworthy that both the ITO and the AAC have clearly observed that the assessee had not disclosed at the original assessment stage that the rents realised exceeded those mentioned in the municipal records. The Tribunal has not controverted this finding, perhaps it did not consider it appropriate to go into the same after having held that the municipal valuation should have a sway over the rent realised. My learned brother has on this score sent the matter back to the Tribunal for giving a finding on this aspect. I will only like to observe in this connection that the Second Explanation to s. 147 itself makes it clear that the production before the ITO of account books or other evidence from which material evidence could with due diligence have been discovered by the ITO will not necessarily amount to disclosure within the meaning of this section. The Supreme Court too has, in the decision Kalyanji Mavji & Co. v. CIT [1976] 102 ITR 287 and CIT v. A. Raman and Co. [1968] 67 ITR 11 (SC), observed that information in order to justify reassessment may be obtained even from the record of original assessment from an investigation of the material on record or the facts disclosed thereby or from other enquiry or research into facts or law. " To inform " means to " to impart knowledge " and the detail available to the ITO in the papers filed before him does not by its mere availability become an item of information. It is transmuted into an item of information in his possession only if, and only when, its existence is realised and its implications are recognised. Where the ITO had not in the original assessment proceedings applied his mind, the reassessment proceedings are valid. (See in this respect the decisions of the Kerala and Madras High Courts in United Mercantile Co. Ltd. v. CIT [1967] 64 ITR 218 (Ker) and Muthukrishna Reddiar v. CIT [1973] 90 ITR 503 (Ker) and A.L.A. Firm v. CIT [1976] 102 ITR 622 (Mad)].

13. It is, therefore, clear from the aforesaid position that:

(1) Reassessment proceedings can be validly initiated in case return of income is processed under Section 143(1) and no scrutiny assessment is undertaken. In such cases there is no change of opinion;

(2) Reassessment proceedings will be invalid in case the assessment order itself records that the issue was raised and is decided in favour of the assesse. Reassessment proceedings in the said cases will be hit by principle of ―change of opinion‖.

22. In the last paragraph quoted above, the Full Bench rejected the submission that reassessment proceedings would be justified if the assessment order is silent or does not record reasons or analysis of material on record. This, the Revenue had propounded, would show non application of mind by the assessing officer. It was held that the said submission was fallacious. Full Bench explained that when an assessment order was passed under Section 143(3), a presumption could be raised that the order was passed after application of mind. Reference was made to clause (e) to Section 114 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The contention if accepted would give premium to the authority exercising quasi-judicial function to take benefit of its own wrong i.e. failure to discuss or record reasons in the assessment order. The aforesaid observations have been made in the context and for explaining the principle of ―change of opinion‖. The said principle would apply even when there is no discussion in the assessment order but where the Assessing Officer had applied his mind. A wrong decision, wrong understanding of law or failure to draw proper inferences from the material facts already on record and examined, cannot be rectified or corrected by recourse to reassessment proceedings. Assessee is required to disclose full and true material facts and need not explain and interpret law. Legal inference has to be drawn by the Assessing Officer from the facts disclosed. It is for the Assessing Officer to understand and apply the law. In such cases resort to reassessment proceedings is not permissible but in a given case where an erroneous order prejudicial to the Revenue is passed, option to correct the error is available under Section 263 of the Act.