Supreme Court Surprised At 4-Year Delay By Income Tax Department In Filing Appeals; Asks About Action Against Officials
Live LawTaking serious note of the gross delay of over four years on the part of the Income Tax Department in filing statutory appeals before the High Court, the Supreme Court has called for an affidavit from the concerned officer to explain the inquiry made and action taken regarding the delay. ".we direct that the concerned authority to file an affidavit before this Court explaining as to what inquiry has been made or action has been taken vis-a-vis the gross delay of four years and hundred days in filing the appeals before the High Court," observed a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol. Assailing the order passed by the ITAT, the Commissioner of Income Tax filed an appeal before the Delhi High Court with a delay of 1560 days. Upon failure to explain the delay caused while preferring an appeal on the part of the department, the High Court dismissed the appeal on the ground of limitation.