Prinicpal Commissioner Of Income Tax 5 vs M/S Lg Electronics India Pvt Ltd on 20 July, 2018
14. As is manifest from the order passed by the Supreme Court in
Principal Commissioner of Income Tax & Ors. vs LG
Electronics India Pvt. Ltd., it had been emphasized that the
administrative circular would not operate as a fetter upon the power
otherwise conferred on a quasi-judicial authority and that it would be
wholly incorrect to view the OM as mandating the deposit of 20%,
irrespective of the facts of an individual case. This would also flow
from the clear and express language employed in sub-section (6) of
Section 220 which speaks of the Assessing Officer being empowered
"in his discretion and subject to such conditions as he may think fit
to impose in the circumstances of the case". The discretion thus
vested in the hands of the AO is one which cannot possibly be
viewed as being cabined by the terms of the OM.