1. Failure to furnish a return of income without reasonable excuse attracts penalty under section 271(1)(a) irrespective of mens rea. 2. Section 273(a) is not applicable to assessment or reassessment made under section 147.

O.CHINNAPPA REDDY, J.

1. On March 17, 1970, the assessee made a voluntary disclosure of income of Rs. 1,30,000 which was allowed to be spread over equally over the four assessment years 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64 and 1964-65. For the assessment year 1961-62, the assessee had not filed a return of income on the ground that she had no taxable income. She had not filed any estimate of advance tax to be paid by her under section 18A(3). After the settlement pursuant to the voluntary disclosure, she filed a return on March 25, 1970, for the assessment year 1961-62, showing an income of Rs.450 from house property and an income of Rs.32,500 disclosed by her under the settlement. The Income-tax Officer levied a penalty of Rs. 3,608 under section 271(1)(a). For the assessment year 1964-65, the assessee had filed an estimate of advance tax showing an income of Rs. 36,800 and the tax payable by her as Rs. 10,700. Thereafter she filed return showing her income as Rs. 35,615. After the settlement pursuant to the voluntary disclosure, the Income-tax Officer completed the assessment for the assessment year 1964-65 on a total income of Rs. 1,70,298. Penalty of Rs. 7,660 was levied on her under section 273(a) for the assessment year 1964-65. The Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has referred for our decision the following questions :

"1. Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, penalty of Rs. 3,608 has been validly levied on the assessee under section 271(1)(a) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, for the assessment year 1961-62 ?"

Whether, on the facts and in the circumstances on the case, penalty of Rs. 7,660 has been validly levied for the assessment year 1964-65 ?"

2. On the first question, Shri Bhagirath Dass, learned counsel for the assessee, submitted that the revenue had failed to establish any mens rea on the part of the assessee and, therefore, no penalty could be levied on her. There is no substance in the submission. On her own showing, the assessee had failed to furnish a return of her income for the assessment year 1961-62 without reasonable excuse. That was sufficient to attract section 271(1)(a). The doctrine of mens rea has no application to such situations under taxing statutes. The decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Additional Commissioner of Income-tax V/s. Narayanadas Ram Kishan [1975] 100 ITR 18 has since been overruled by a Full Bench. (See Addl. Commissioner of Income-tax V/s. Dargapandarinath Tuljayya & Co. [1977] 107 ITR 850 (AP) [FB]).

3. On the second question, Shri Bhagirath Dass argued that section 273(a) had no application since it was not in the course of any proceeding in connection with regular assessment for the assessment year 1964-65 that the Income-tax Officer was satisfied that the assessee had furnished an estimate of the advance tax payable by her which she knew or had reason to believe to be untrue but in the course of proceedings for reassessment under section 147. Shri Bhagirath Dass argued that proceedings under section 147 could never be considered proceedings under sections 143 and 144 of the Income-tax Act and, therefore, could not be described as proceedings in connection with the regular assessment.

4. Section 273(a) enables an Income-tax Officer if, in the course of any proceedings in connection with the regular assessment for the assessment year commencing on April 1, 1970, or any subsequent assessment year, he is satisfied that any assessee has furnished under section 212 an estimate of advance tax payable by him which he knew or had reason to believe to be untrue, to direct such person to pay by way of penalty a sum prescribed by that provision. Regular assessment is defined in section 2(40) to mean the assessment made under section 143 or section 144. Sections 143 and 144 deal with assessment made in the ordinary course either on the filing of return by the assessee under section 139 or on the failure of the assessee to file a return after the issuance of notice und