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1994 Supreme(Guj) 150

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :M.B.SHAH, M.R.CALLA
OM SHRI JIGAR ASSOCIATION - Appellant
Versus
UNION OF INDIA - Respondent
Civil Revision 3644 of 1993
Decided On : 05/05/1994

Advocates Appeared: B.J.MEHTA, B.J.SHELAT, MANISH R.BHATT, SAURABH N.SOPARKAR

Headnote:

Civil Matter – Bombay Public Trusts Act 1960 – Bombay Public Trusts (Gujarat) Rules 1961 – Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules 1952 – Income-tax Act – Section 269 (UD) (1) – Undervaluing land – Land was sold on public auction – Contention of petitioner that it is a registered non-trading corporation and that its President entered into an agreement on to purchase a land bearing owned by the third respondent – Third respondent is a public charitable trust registered under Act 1960 – Trust filed an application before the Charity Commissioner for seeking permission to sell the said land. Pursuant to said application a public advertisement was given in the newspaper on June 4 1993 inviting objections if any to the said sale and inviting offers from the public at large for purchase of said land – Also contended that the Charity Commissioner found that the offer of one person to buy the said land was conditional one and therefore that offer was not accepted. Further considering the fact that the highest offer was for a sum of Rs. 22 lakhs the petitioner gave an offer to buy the said land for a consideration of Rs. 22 lakhs to the Charily Commissioner – Held, It is not necessary to deal with the aforesaid contention exhaustively – However it should be noted that issuance of a show-cause notice is not an empty formality. Its purpose is to give a reasonable opportunity to the affected persons to contend that the apparent consideration as per the agreement to sell is the market price or a that there is no undervaluation because of peculier facts. Therefore before taking any action under Section 269ud (1) of the Income-tax Act the appropriate authority should give to the person likely to be affected by the order proposed to be made a notice of the action intended to be taken inform him about the material on the basis of which the appropriate authority proposes to take action of pre-emptive purchase and give a fair and reasonable opportunity to such persons to represent his case and to correct or controvert the material sought to be relied against him – Hence in the show-cause notice under Section 269 of the Income-tax Act provisional conclusions are required to be briefly specified – On what materials did the Government think that the appellants explanation was unsatisfactory – It is to our mind essential for a Show-Cause Notice to indicate precise scope of notice and also to indicate points on which the officer concerned is expected to give a reply. (Emphasis supplied.) same would be the position here – It would be difficult for the transferor and transferee to show cause as to why the property should not be compulsorily purchased or to point out that there is no undervaluation of the property or even if there is undervaluation it is because of the peculiar facts regarding the property – Impugned order quashed and set aside – Petition is allowed.

M. B. SHAH, M. R. CALLA, J.

( 1 ) ). It is the contention of the petitioner that it is a registered non-trading corporation and that its President Shri Mahesh Kalubhai Bhatt entered into an agreement on June 10 1992 to purchase a land bearing Final Plot No. 287 admeasuring 1230 sq. mtr. (1028. 40 sq. mtr) owned by the third respondent (Budhabhai Trust) for a sum of Rs. 20 lakhs. The third respondent is a public charitable trust registered under the Bombay Public Trusts Act 1960 (the Act for short ). The Trust filed an application on February 25 1993 before the Charity Commissioner for seeking permission to sell the said land. Pursuant to the said application a public advertisement was given in the newspaper on June 4 1993 inviting objections if any to the said sale and inviting offers from the public at large for purchase of the said land. It is also contended that on June 30 1993 the Charity Commissioner found that the offer of one person to buy the said land was conditional one and therefore that offer was not accepted. Further considering the fact that the highest offer was for a sum of Rs. 22 lakhs the petitioner gave an offer to buy the said land for a consideration of Rs. 22 lakhs to the Charily Commissioner. The petitioners offer was accepted and thereafter an agreement to sell was executed between the petitioner and the said trust on October 19 1993 The said agreement to sell was executed subject to certain conditions inter alia that the sale would be subject to sanction by the Charity Commissioner under Section 36 of the Act as well as by the appropriate authority under the Income-tax Act. Thereafter Form No. 37 was submitted in the office of the appropriate authority on November 3 1993 On January 13 1994 the Charity Commissioner approved the said agreement to sell. It is the contention of the petitioner that in spite of the aforesaid facts without giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner the appropriate authority has passed an order on February 23 1994 holding that the said land is fit for pre-emptive purchase under Section 269ud (1) of the Income-tax Act because the apparent consideration has been understated by more than 15% and in exercise of powers vested under Section 269ud (1) of the Income-tax Act ordered to purchase the said land. It is submitted that the petitioner has purchased the said land in the public auction held by the Charity Commissioner. The Charity Commissioner has found that the bid of the petitioner was the highest and therefore accorded sanction under Section 36 of the Act. Therefore in the present case there is no question of undervaluing the land for its purchase. It is further contended by the petitioner that the notice given by the department is absolutely vague and illegal and it does not disclose any reason or ground as to why the property was sought to be compulsorily purchased.

( 2 ) ). Mr. Shelat learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the respondents submitted that it cannot be held that merely because the land was sold in a public auction there cannot be any undervaluation. He further submitted that the notice was sent to the petitioner at the address mentioned in Form 37-I but it was returned unserved by the postal authorities with a remark not known. As the correct address was not known to the department the officer of the second respondent contacted the President of the Association on phone who was asked to collect the show-cause notice on 1st February 1994 but nobody has turned up to collect the show-cause notice on behalf of the petitioner.

( 3 ) ). In our view the contentions raised by the petitioner are required to be accepted. It is apparent that the petitioner has agreed to purchase the land as per Banakhat dated 10th June 1992 (Annexure B to the petition ). Subsequently an application was submitted by the Trust before the Charity Commissioner to grant sanction for sale. Of the said land. Thereafter the Charity Commissioner issued a public notice and invited offers











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