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2025 Supreme(GUJ) 703

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 8218 of 2022 ================================================================
CHOPRA BULLIONS PRIVATE LIMITED Versus THE NATIONAL FACELESS ASSESSMENT CENTRE, GOVT. OF INDIA &
ANR.
================================================================
Appearance:
MS VAIBHAVI K PARIKH(3238) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1 MR.VARUN K.PATEL(3802) for the Respondent(s) No. 1,2 ================================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE BHARGAV D. KARIA and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE D.N.RAY Date : 11/03/2025

Petitioner Advocates:MS VAIBHAVI K PARIKH(3238) ,Respondent Advocate: MR.VARUN K.PATEL(3802)

Objections to re-opening assessments must be addressed before finalizing the assessment order, as established by the Supreme Court.

Headnote:(A) Income Tax Act, 1961 - Sections 147, 144B, and 156 - Petition challenging the order dated 30th March, 2022, for Assessment Year 2015-16 on grounds of improper procedure in re-opening assessment - The petitioner contended that objections filed were not disposed of before passing the Assessment Order. (Paras 2-4)

(B) Legal Principles - The Supreme Court decision in GKN Driveshafts (India) Ltd. v. Income-tax Officer establishes that objections must be disposed of before finalizing an assessment. (Para 4)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner challenged the assessment order issued without addressing objections filed regarding the reasons for re-opening. The reasons were provided after the notice was issued, leading to procedural irregularities.

Findings of Court:
The court quashed the impugned Assessment Order and remanded the matter for a fresh de-novo order to be passed within twelve weeks.

Issues: The main issue was whether the objections raised by the petitioner were properly addressed before the assessment order was finalized.

Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized that the failure to dispose of objections before passing the assessment order constituted a procedural flaw, necessitating a remand for proper consideration.

Result: The impugned Assessment Order and demand notice were quashed and set aside.

ORDER :

(BHARGAV D. KARIA, J.)

1. Heard learned Senior Advocate Mr.Tushar Hemani with learned advocate Ms.Vaibhavi K. Parikh for the petitioner and learned Senior Standing Counsel Mr.Varun K. Patel with learned advocate Mr.Dev D. Patel for the respondent.

2. By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has challenged the order dated 30th March, 2022 passed by the respondent under Section 147 read with Section 144B of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (for short ‘the Act’) as well as demand notice issued under Section 156 of the Act of even date for Assessment Year 2015-16 on the ground that the reasons for re-opening were provided on 16th March, 2022 only whereas, the notice under Section 148 of the Act was issued on 30th March, 2021 and the petitioner has filed the return in response to such notice and requested for reasons recorded from time to time.

3. It also appears from the record that though the petitioner has filed the objections on 27th March, 2022 for the reasons for re- opening provided on 16th March, 2022, without disposing of such objections, the impugned Assessment Order is passed by reproducing the reply dated 29th March, 2022 in response to the notice dated 29th March, 2022 as to why the proposed variation should not be made in the Assessment Order.

4. Learned Senior Advocate Mr.Tushar Hemani for the petitioner submitted that as per the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in case of GKN Driveshafts (India) Ltd. Versus Income-tax Officer reported in [2002] 125 Taxman 963 (SC), the petitioner filed the objections when the reasons were provided to the petitioner on 16th March, 2022, however, the same were not disposed of and the impugned Assessment Order is passed. It was therefore prayed that the impugned Assessment Order may be quashed and set aside and the matter may be remanded back to the respondent-Assessing Officer to pass a fresh de-novo order disposing the objections and considering the reply filed by the petitioner after considering the reply filed by the petitioner.

5. With the aforesaid directions, the impugned Assessment Order dated 30.03.2022 as well as the demand notice of even date are hereby quashed and set aside and the matter is remanded back to the Assessing Officer to pass a fresh de-novo order within a period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of this order.

6. The petition is accordingly disposed of. Notice is discharged. Interim-relief, if any, stands vacated forthwith.  

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