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1991 DIGILAW 522 (DEL)

MEGSONS EXPORTS v. UNION OF INDIA

1991-09-23

ARUN KUMAR, B.N.KIRPAL

body1991
B. N. Kirpal ( 1 ) THE challenge in this writ petition Is to the order dated 15th March 1990 whereby the Appropriate Authority under the Income Tax Act bad not granted penaission to the petition which he be has sought by an application in form 37-1 of the Act. ( 2 ) REAPONDENTNO. 4istbe owner of the property bearing No. D/41. Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi. It bad entered into an agreement to sell the said property in favour of the petitioner. Anapplication was filed on 31st January 1990 in form 37-1 in accordaice with the provisions of Section 269 UG. The Appropriate Authority by the impugned order did not grant the no Objection Certificate" nor did it exercise the right of pre-emptive purchase. It came to the canculsion that the agreement which has been entered into by the owner with the proposed transferee had resulted in the creation of certain rights in favour of the transferee in accordance with the provision of Section S3-A of the Transfer of Property Act. According to the Appropriate Authority possession of the property bad been handed over to the transferee and there had been a part performance of the contract and the letter and intent of the provisions of Chapter XXC of the Income Tax Act bad been violated According to thi Appropriate Authority there had been a breach committed of this Chapter and prosecution could be initiated He further came to the conclusion that the consideration shown was Rs. 24 lacs, out of which 22 lacs have already been paid and be concluded that the pre-emptive right to purchase had been defeated by the p. irties. ( 3 ) WHILE challenging the aforesaid decision, the learned Counsel for the petitioner places on the decision in Tanvi Trading and Credits Pft. Ltd. 4 Other*, v. Appropriate Authority and Others, 188 I. T. R. 623. The provisions of Sw- tiong 262 (JC, 269 UO and 269 UL were considered by a Division Bench of tbb Court and-it was inter alia held that when an application under Section 269 UO it filed, the Appropriate Authority can either buy the property or isue a no objection Certificate . No other course was open to the Appropriate Authority. The provisions of Sw- tiong 262 (JC, 269 UO and 269 UL were considered by a Division Bench of tbb Court and-it was inter alia held that when an application under Section 269 UO it filed, the Appropriate Authority can either buy the property or isue a no objection Certificate . No other course was open to the Appropriate Authority. The decision in Tanvi Trading and Credits (supra) was followed by another Beneb of this Court in the case of Satwam Narang v. Appropriate Authority, 188 I. T. R. 656 What is of importance however, is that the Department filed an appeal against the first decision of this Court and on 23rd April, 1991 the Spreme Court, while dismissing the Special Leave Petition, passed the following orders: - "we agree that two alternative are open under the scheme of the legislation. - (1) the Union of India through the appropriate authority could buy the property or (ii) in the event of its decision. not to buy, it has to issue a no Objection Certificate" leaving it open to parties to deal with the property. In that view of the matter, the High Court was right in its conclusion. The special leave petition is dismissed. No costs. " ( 4 ) IT is clear from the aforesaid decision that when the Appropriate Authority receives an application under Sectian 269uc then he has no jurisdiction to file that application, as had been done in the present case. He has to exercise the option which is available to him and that is either to buy the property or to issue no Objection Certificate". The right to buy the property has to be execrised with in a stipulated period which is within two months from the end of the month within which a statement under Section 269 UC has been filed. In the present case the statement was filed-on 31st January 1990. Two months would expire by 31st March 1990. Thereafter the Goverment lost its right to purchase the said property. In the present case the statement was filed-on 31st January 1990. Two months would expire by 31st March 1990. Thereafter the Goverment lost its right to purchase the said property. ( 5 ) FOLLOWING the ratio of this Court s decision in Tanvt Trading Credits (supra), we allow this writ petition and quash the impugned order paned by the Appropriate Authority and further issue a writet of mandam us directing the Appropriate Authority to issue to the petitioners and to respondeat dent No. 4, within four weeks from today a no Objection Certificate in term of Section 269 UL (3 ). ( 6 ) THE petition stands disposed of. There will be no orders as to costs.