Commissioner of Income-tax v. Govindram Saksariya Charity Trust
1982-07-22
G.G.SOHANI, K.N.SHUKLA
body1982
DigiLaw.ai
JUDGMENT Shukla, J. 1. This is an application under Section 256(2) of the I.T. Act seeking a direction to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Indore, to state the case and refer it for decision of certain questions stated in the application. 2. The assessee is a public charitable trust whose income has been treated as exempt under Section 11 of the I.T Act, 1961. For the assessment year 1973-74, the ITO granted exemption to the assessee under Section 11 of the I.T. Act. The Commissioner acting under Section 263 of the Act sent for the record and after perusal noted that the ITO did not examine certain facts, which according to him disqualified the assessee, under Section 13(1)(c) of the Act, from earning exemption under Section 11 of the Act. According to the Commissioner certain loans were advanced to persons who fell within the category referred to under Sub-section (3) of 13 of the Act. He accordingly set aside the assessment and directed the ITO to examine the points mentioned in his order regarding the grant of exemption of income claimed by the assessee under Section 11 of the Act. 3. The assessee went in appeal before the Appellate Tribunal challenging the order passed by the Commissioner. The Appellate Tribunal observed that the ITO had examined the entire record and had granted exemption after considering all the relevant facts. The Revenue sought a reference under Section 256(1) of the Act but the Appellate Tribunal declined to make any reference. 4. We have examined the orders of the ITO and the Appellate Tribunal. We are satisfied that the following question of law arises out of the Tribunal's order and we, therefore, direct that the Tribunal shall state the case and refer it to us for determination of the said question: "Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, and on the basis of the material available on record, the Tribunal was right in holding that the ITO had granted exemption under Section 11 to the assessee-trust after making thorough enquiries about the applicability of Section 13(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 ?"