Fujitsu Consulting India Private ... vs Acit, Circle-7(1), Delhi on 30 January, 2026
20. As rightly contended by the learned senior counsels and
affirmed by the Learned Judge, the DRP proceedings is a
continuation of assessment proceedings. To put it further, it is a
part of assessment proceedings, once the objections are filed and
under section 144C (12) a period of 9 months is prescribed, within
which, directions are to be issued by the DRP, failing which any
7 ITA Nos. 1508, 1698 & 3878/Del/2022
Fujitsu Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. Vs. the ACIT
directions are to be treated as otiose. As seen from the timeline
discussed in the earlier paragraphs, the original assessment
proceedings are to be completed within 21 months and the
additional time of 12 months is granted when proceedings before
TPO is pending. The TPO has to pass orders before 60 days prior
19 to the last date. Then 30 days time is given to the assessee to
file their objection before the DRP and the DRP is given 9 months
time and thereafter, within one month from the end of the month of
receipt of directions from DRP, the final order is to be passed. This
court is not in consonance with the contention of the learned senior
panel counsel for the appellants/ revenue that the time period of 33
months, provided initially is for the draft order and not for the final
order. A careful perusal of the timeline would indicate that the time
limit is for the final assessment and not for the draft order. The
anomaly in the argument is that in the present cases, no fresh draft
order was passed, but the DRP had issued the notices. If the
contention of the appellants / revenue was to hold some water,
they must have passed the draft assessment order immediately on
receipt of the order from the Tribunal, but instead, notice was
issued by the DRP. In any case, it is a far cry for the revenue as
because no order has been passed for more than 5 years.