Commissioner Of Income Tax v. Maharaja Chintamani Saran Nath Sah Deo
1988-04-29
S.H.S.ABIDI, S.K.JHA
body1988
DigiLaw.ai
Judgment 1. These three taxation cases arise from three references made under Section 256(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, by the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, "B" Bench, Patna, for the three assessment years, namely, 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1977-78, wherein two questions of law--the first question being in a consolidated form in respect of all the three assessment years and the second one being only for the assessment year 1975-76--have been referred : "1. Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal was correct in law in determining the status of the assessee as a Hindu undivided family ? 2. Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal was correct in law in holding that the ad interim payment was not a revenue receipt and as such was not taxable in the hands of the assessee ?" 2. It is not necessary to state the facts of these cases as in regard to the same assessee for different assessment years these very questions have already been decided in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue in quite a number of decisions of this court. Although the questions have been gone into in a number of decisions, namely, CIT V/s. Maharaja Chintamani Saran Nath Sahdeo [1982] 133 ITR 658, CIT V/s. Maharaja Chintamani Saran Nath Sahdeo [1986] 157 ITR 358 and CIT V/s. Chintamani Saran Nath Sahdeo [1986] 162 ITR 255, to be precise, we may refer to the latest decision in [1986] 162 ITR 255 which has dealt With the case of the very same assessee wherein, on identical ifacts, the following two questions, inter alia, were referred to this court for its opinion (at p. 257); "1. Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in law in determining the status of the assessee as a Hindu undivided family ? ......... 3. Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in law in deleting the entire addition of Rs. 1,40,329 being the amount of zamindari compensation and interest at 21/2% thereon by holding that the receipt was of capital nature ?" 3. Both the above questions have been answered in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue.
1,40,329 being the amount of zamindari compensation and interest at 21/2% thereon by holding that the receipt was of capital nature ?" 3. Both the above questions have been answered in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue. After reviewing, more or less, the entire case law on the subject, it was held that (p. 267): "For the reasons stated above, I am of the view that the Tribunal was correct in the view that it took in regard to questions Nos. 1 and 3. .........Questions Nos. 1 and 3 are thus decided in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue." 4. No facts have been brought to our notice which deter us from following the earlier Bench decision of this court in regard to this very assessee. We accordingly answer both the questions in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue and hold that--(i) on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in determining the status of the assessee as a Hindu undivided family, and (ii) on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal was correct in law in holding that the ad interim payment of Rs. 11,910 was a capital receipt and not a revenue receipt and, as such, was not taxable in the hands of the assessee. The questions referred to this court are accordingly answered in favour of the assessee and against the Revenue. The parties shall bear their own costs. 5. A copy of this judgment be sent under the seal of this court to the Registrar of the court and the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, "B" Bench, Patna.