Janaki
S. Menon & Ors Vs. Dr. V.R.S. Krishanan & Ors [1996] INSC 1249 (4
October 1996)
K. Ramaswamy,
S.P. Kurdukar
ACT:
HEAD NOTE:
O R D
E R
Leave
granted.
We
have heard learned counsel on both sides.
These
appeals by special leave arise from the order of the High Court of Kerala made
on November 1,1955 in CRP Nos.1745 and 1980 of 1995.
The case has a chequered history, details of which need no repetition. Suffice
it to state that the late V. Madhava Raja owed Certain dues towards income tax,
wealth tax and agriculture income-tax. On his demise when a partition suit,
viz., OS. No.l/64 was filed for division of the properties by meets and bounds
among the sharers, an attempt was made by the State to have the estate attached
for recovery of the tax dues. Pursuant to an agreement between the parties, the
Court passed an order avoiding attachment and directed the Joint Commissioners
to recover the dues from the estate and pay over the same to the Income-tax and
other Government dues.
On an
application, final decree was passed on July 15, 1967 in which the appellants had
purchased 4/13th share. In the final decree proceedings for recovery of dues of
the State certain properties came to be identified and ultimately Devi Vilas Palace was also agreed to be sold by order
of the Court dated January
28, 1983 for recovery
of the arrears.
Several
attempts were made to sell out the properties to the co-sharers for realisation
of the tax dues of the State remained unsuccessful. Consequently, by order of
the court dated April
8, 1992, direction was
given to sell the property by public auction. After due publicity, the property
in dispute was sold on June
15, 1992 for a sum of
RS. 31,15,0OO/-. Under the terms of the sale 1/4th of the bid amount was
required to be deposited forthwith and the balance amount was to be deposited
within 15 days thereafter. In default 1/4th amount was to be forfeited. In the
meanwhile pending the litigation, the matter reached twice to this Court. SLP
(C) No.8040/92 came to be filed in this Court wherein this Court passed an
interim order directing stay of the confirmation of the sale. Resultantly, the
auction purchaser respondents filed an application in the Court on June 26, 1992 seeking permission to withdraw from
the auction. Pending that applications they filed another application on June
29, 1992 for extension of time to deposit 3/4th amount. Ultimately, by order
dated September 19, 1992, this Court had dismissed the special leave petition
with liberty to the executing Court to confirm the sale already made etc. In
the meanwhile; the Court passed vague orders on auctionpurchaser's applications
for permission to withdraw from auction and for extension of time. Auction
purchaser filed a revision in the High Court.
The
learned single Judge further directed the trial Court to consider the matter in
the light of the direction issued by this Court in the special leave petition.
The
appellants also filed an application under Order 21, Rule 90 CPC to set aside
the sale. All these matters were heard together and by order dated August 16,
1995, the executing Court rejected the objections to the sale and extended time
for payment of the balance amount. The matter was then carried in revision to
the High Court and the High Court dismissed the revision petitions. Thus, these
appeals by special leave.
Shri
D.D. Thakur, learned senior counsel for the appellants, has contended that it
is clear from the record that the arrears for recovery of the tax were
liquidated as on the date of the sale. Therefore, the property was not liable
to be sold. This Court having considered the contention, passed an order on
November 27, 1995 directing the respondents to place on record whether any
liability as on the date of the auction, viz., June 15, 1992 was subsisting. In
pursuance thereof, a certificate dated December 6, 1995 was produced in which
the Income Tax Officer, Ward-2, Palghat had certified that a sum of Rs.5,15,824/-
was still due and recoverable from the estate of Venugopala Verma Raja, Kollengode
estate. In view of these facts, the question arises: whether the objections
raised by the appellants are tenable? It is true that in the order passed by
the executing Court the plea that the property was not liable to be sold since
the arrears had already been liquidated as on the date of the sale, was not
properly considered on the mistaken view that this Court had already directed
whether or not the sale should be confirmed and the sale that was sanctioned by
the executing Court was upheld by this Court in yet another previous order. But
in view of the certificate issued by the Tax Recovery Officer, admittedly, the
amount of Rs.5 lakhs and odd was due and recoverable from the estate of the
deceased Venugopal Varma Raja. Shri Thakur has placed reliance on Section 222
of the Income Tax Act and the procedure prescribed in Schedule II of that act
for the recovery of the arrears of the income tax, wealth tax etc.
Since
that procedure was not followed and Rule 9 of the Rules being a bar to the
jurisdiction of the civil Court, proceedings taken for recovery of the amount
were without authority of law. We find no force in the contention.
Section
222 and Schedule II are relatable to the procedure to be adopted by the Tax
Recovery Officer for recovery of arrears of tax from the assessee or the estate
of the assessee. In this case, the Tax Recovery Officer had not proceeded under
the Act. It is seen that when an attempt was made by the State, as stated
earlier, to proceed against the estate, by consensus and consent of the
parties, the property was directed to be sold to liquidate the arrears due to
the State. Income tax and other dues are first charge on the estate of the
deceased Therefore they had rightly proceeded to recover the arrears of the tax
from the estate before partition of the properties. Resultantly, the Income Tax
Officer had not invoked the provisions of Section 222 and Schedule II of the
Act to recover the same Therefore, the need to proceed under the Act was
obviated. The executing Court was well within its power to proceed with the
recovery of the tax due and to pay over the same to the State.
Shri Thakur
sought to place reliance on two documents in which there was a mention that the
amounts had been adjusted and thereby sought to draw an inference therefrom
that no amount was due from the estate of Venugopala Varma Raja. We do not find
any force in his submission. These letters do indicate that out of the total
amount recoverable from the estate, a sum of Rs.6,60,000/- was collected from
the Joint Commissioners appointed by the civil Court and the sum was
appropriated towards specified amounts outstanding towards expenditure tax and
wealth tax. As regards the agriculture income tax, certain properties were sold
and a sum of Rs.12,000/- and odd had remained surplus. For refund thereof, one
of the defendants to the suit, viz., 7th defendant made an application and
thereon refund of the amount was ordered. These two documents would not
indicate that there was no amount due from the assessee. As seen earlier from
the certificate issued by the Income Tax Officer on December 6, 1995, an amount
of Rs.5,15,000/- and odd was still due and recoverable from the estate.
It is
then contended that since the property is valuable property and was sold for a meagre
amount, this Court may interfere and direct the appellants to pay interest on
the 1/4th amount deposited and also some compensation to the auction purchaser.
Having considered the contention, we find on the facts in the this case that it
would not be justifiable on the part of the Court to interfere with the sale.
It is seen that on the earlier occasion, the executing Court had unsuccessfully
limited the sale inter se between the parties. This Court in the first round of
the present litigation, by several orders tried to save the estate but the same
proved fruitless. This Court had on the second occasion, directed to consider
whether or not confirmation of sale would be made. This Court had gone into
that question. Even the tax liability was one of the issues raised in this case
by some of the judgment-debtors and this Court had not agreed with the
contention that there was no liability subsisting towards arrears of the tax.
Considered
from this backdrop, viz., the nature of the litigation which has been going on
and several opportunities given by this Court to have the matter settled by
negotiation by way of sale between the parties to reach an amicable settlement,
having rendered futile, we do not think it is a fit case warranting
interference. We do not find any procedural infraction. Otherwise, no court
sale would successfully preceded.
The
appeals are accordingly dismissed, but in the circumstances without costs.
We are
informed that the amount due has already been deposited. Therefore, it is open
to the executing Court to have the sale confirmed. Six months' time from today
is granted to the appellants for vacating the palace, portion of which is
occupied by the appellants, subject to their filling usual undertaking within a
period of six weeks from today.
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