High Court Quashes Reassessment Notice and Order for Deceased Assessee in Income Tax Case -- Investment in Debentures Not Escaped Income -- Notice Under Section 148 and Order Under Section 148A(3) of Income Tax Act, 1961 Set Aside

Sub Category: Gujarat High Court Bench: AHEMDABAD

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2026-03-03 03:45:04

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Case Note & Summary

The judgment involves a writ petition filed by Petitioner, the legal heir of a deceased assessee, challenging a reassessment notice and order issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax for Assessment Year 2019-20 -- The dispute centered on an investment of Rs. 2,00,00,000 in debentures of Kalpataru Fincap Ltd., which the Department alleged was an accommodation entry based on search proceedings in the Areion Group -- The petitioner argued that the investment was genuine, made with explained funds, and interest was disclosed and taxed, thus no income escaped assessment -- The court accepted these submissions, holding that the reassessment proceedings were invalid due to lack of actual escapement of income, void proceedings against the deceased, and jurisdictional issues post-amendment -- The notice under Section 148 and order under Section 148A(3) were quashed and set aside

Headnote

The High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad, in a writ petition filed by Petitioner, the legal heir of late Shri deceased assessee, quashed a notice dated 19.06.2025 under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act) and an order dated 19.06.2025 under Section 148A(3) of the Act -- The petitioner challenged the reassessment proceedings initiated for Assessment Year 2019-20 regarding an investment of Rs. 2,00,00,000 in debentures of Kalpataru Fincap Ltd. -- The court held that Section 147 of the Act requires actual escapement of income, and since the investment was capital and interest was disclosed, no income escaped assessment -- It further ruled that proceedings against a deceased assessee on his PAN were void ab initio -- The court also noted that after the amendment to Section 148A by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024, the Assessing Officer lacked jurisdiction to conduct inquiry at the show cause notice stage -- The writ petition was allowed, setting aside the impugned notice and order

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Issue of Consideration: The Issue of whether the reassessment proceedings under Section 147 and Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 were validly initiated against the legal heir of a deceased assessee based on alleged accommodation entry transactions

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Final Decision

The High Court allowed the writ petition, quashed and set aside the notice dated 19.06.2025 under Section 148 and the order dated 19.06.2025 under Section 148A(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961

2026 LawText (GUJ) (01) 600

R/Special Civil Application No. 18016 of 2025

2026-01-22

A.S. Supehia , Pranav Trivedi

2026:GUJHC:5548-DB

Ms Vaibhavi K Parikh for the petitioner, Maunil G Yajnik for the respondent

Rajendra Mahendrakumar Vadodaria

Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Circle 1(1)(1), Ahmedabad

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Nature of Litigation: Writ petition challenging reassessment proceedings under the Income Tax Act, 1961

Remedy Sought

The petitioner sought quashing and setting aside of a notice under Section 148 and an order under Section 148A(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961

Filing Reason

The petitioner, as legal heir of a deceased assessee, contested reassessment initiated based on alleged accommodation entry transactions in debentures

Previous Decisions

Assessment for Assessment Year 2021-22 was completed under Section 147, disallowing deductions under Section 57, and an appeal was filed by the petitioner

Issues

Whether reassessment proceedings under Section 147 and Section 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 were validly initiated against the legal heir of a deceased assessee Whether the investment in debentures constituted escaped income requiring reassessment

Submissions/Arguments

The petitioner argued that Section 147 requires actual escapement of income, not merely a reason to believe, and no income escaped as investment was capital and interest was disclosed The petitioner contended that proceedings against a deceased assessee on his PAN are void ab initio The petitioner submitted that post-amendment to Section 148A, the Assessing Officer lacks jurisdiction to conduct inquiry at the show cause notice stage The respondent argued that tangible material from search proceedings indicated escapement of income and accommodation entry transactions

Ratio Decidendi

Reassessment under Section 147 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 requires actual escapement of income; capital investment with disclosed interest does not constitute escaped income -- Proceedings initiated against a deceased assessee on his PAN without proper initiation against legal heirs are void ab initio -- After the amendment to Section 148A by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024, the Assessing Officer cannot conduct inquiry at the show cause notice stage under Section 148A(1)

Judgment Excerpts

It is contended that in the present case, there is no income which has escaped assessment It is also argued that proceedings initiated against a deceased assessee by issuing notices on his PAN are void ab initio and a nullity in law After the amendment to Section 148A by the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2024, the Assessing Officer has no power to conduct inquiry at the stage of issuing a show cause notice under Section 148A(1) of the Act

Procedural History

The deceased assessee filed Return of Income for Assessment Year 2019-20 -- A show cause notice under Section 148A(1) was issued on 30.03.2025 -- The petitioner filed a reply on 14.04.2025 -- The respondent issued a notice under Section 148 and an order under Section 148A(3) on 19.06.2025 -- The petitioner filed a writ petition challenging these -- The High Court disposed of the petition by final order on 22.01.2026