JUDGMENT [ENTITY], C.J.
1. At the instance of the assessee this Court by its order dated December 26, 1966 directed the Income tax Appellate Tribunal, Delhi Branch 'C to reter the following question tot answer:
Whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case the levy of penalty of Rs. 2,200/- on the Asesssee Under [SECTION] of the Act was valid in law.
2. M/s Jaipur Metals and Electricals Ltd. is a public limited company which manufactures electric meters, copppr conductors, etc. The assessee'a accounting year ends on 31st Dec For the period relevant to the assessment year 57-58 a notice was served on the assessee on 31-5-56 indicating that the assessee was liable to pay income-tax in the sum of Rs. 42.639/2/- Under [SECTION] The assessee filed an estimate on 12-6-1956 showing a loss in the sum of Rs. 50,000/- till that date. On September 13 or 14, 1956 the assessee voluntarily revised its estimates showing an estimated income in the sum of the Rs. 50,000/-. The Department issued another notice to the assessee on December 1, 1956 making a revised demand upon the assessee to pay an advance tax in the sum of Rs. 1,03,458.75 P on an estimated income of Rs. 3,03,565/- based on the total income assessed for the accounting period relevant to the assessment year 1956-57. The assessee repeated its estimated income by its revised statement dated December 14 1956 to be at Rs. 60,000/-. This estimate was filed by the assessee, it is claimed on the basis of the books of account and material then available to the assessee. The assessee revised certain bills already submitted by it to the Govt. Departments which resulted in increasing its profits by Rs. 27 755/-These bills were revised sometime after December 25, 1956. Not only that the assessee received a sum of Rs. 12,463/- on December 20,1956 from M/s Rathi Steel Re-rolling Mills, Delhi, being some pool money on transfer of the steel quota. This brought in an unexpected profit in the sum of Rs. 40,000/-and odd. The assessment of the Company was completed on August 31, 1960 and the Income tax Officer adjudicated the income of the assassee in the sum of Rs. 2,09,968/- as against the return of the assessee in the sum of Rs. 84,220/-. An appeal was taken before the Appellate Assistant Commissioner and the income was reduced to Rs. 97,478/-. A notice was issued to the assessee under [SECTION] to show cause why penalty should not be imposed. The assessee filed a reply that he was not guilty of making any untrue statement within its knowledge or which it had reason to believe to be untrue. The Income-tax Officer, however, imposed a penalty on December 27, 1963 in the sum of Rs. 3,800/-. The Appellate Commissioner, however, dismissed the appeal but the Tribunal eventually on March 2, 1965 reduced the amount to Rs. 2,600/-. An application was made to the Tribunal for making a reference to this Court under [SECTION] of the [ACT] (hereinafter called "the old Act") but the Tribunal rejected it on the ground that no question of law arose. As already indicated this Court directed the Tribunal to refer the question aforesaid.
3. Mr. [ENTITY], appearing for the assessee, urged that when he filed the revised statement on 13-9-1956 and repeated it on December 14, 1956 in the sum" of Rs. 50,000/ it made no untrue statement within its knowledge or which it had reason to believe to be untrue. The unexpected increase in the income was after the filing of the revised revised return on 14-12-1956 and; therefore, the assessee was not hit by the mischief of [SECTION] of the old Act. The failure on the part of the assessee to revise its estimate on the 15th of March, 1957 is at worst an omission while the penalty clause of [SECTION] with [SECTION] refers to a positively untrue statement within the knowledge or which the assessee had reason to believe to be untrue. The Tribunal fell into an error urged the counsel when it took into consideration the failure on the part of the assessee to file the revised estimate on Much 15, 1957 and this being an extraneous consideration has vitiated his conclusion. He placed reliance on [PRECEDENT] His further submission was that falsity of explanation of the assessee was not enough to reach a conclusion of mens tea and he placed reliance on I.T. Commissioner, West Bengal v. [ENTITY] AIR 1978 SC 1782. This he urged was a relevant consideration because the provisions of [SECTION] are of a penal nature.
4. Mr. [ENTITY], learned Counsel for the Revenue, urged that the estimate is for the year and not for any quarter, and if a per, on failed to file a revised estimate under [SECTION] then he was guilty of furnishing particulars which were untrue to his knowledge or at least which he had reason to believe to be untrue as proved in the circumstances of the case. He further urged that the assessee was in duty bound to file a revised estimate on the 15th March, 1957 in view of the provisions of [SECTION] and proviso thereto. He placed reliance on [PRECEDENT]; [PRECEDENT]; [PRECEDENT] and [PRECEDENT] His next submission was that if the assessee had made no grievance with regard to certain grounds at the time of the drawing up the statement of the case he could not agitate them now. He placed reliance on [PRECEDENT]. [PRECEDENT]; [PRECEDENT]. and [PRECEDENT] . His another submission was that the Tribunal's findings of fact are final and the High Court should not travel outside those findings. He placed reliance on [PRECEDENT] and [PRECEDENT]. And lastly he urged that it was a case where the estimate was untrue within the knowledge or within the belief of the assessee and it was a question of fact as decided by this Court in [PRECEDENT] decided on 24-4-1973 If a person files an erroneous statement and does not revise it until the last opportunity provided by the law then it should be presumed that it was not true and he placed reliance on [PRECEDENT].
5. We would like to examine at the out set the last argument submitted by Mr. [ENTITY] that no question of law arises because the estimate of tax payable by an assessee "which he knew or had reason to believe to be "is a question of fact. It has been repeatedly hid down by the Supreme Court that the High Court must accept the findings of fact leached by the Appellate Tribunal and it cannot distrurb those findings of fact unless the party concerned had expressly raised the question of the validity of the findings of fact before the Tribanal notwithstanding the tact that the findings may be vitiated for any reason. The question which the High Court formulated in the case was whether the levy of penalty was valid in view of the provisions of [SECTION] with [SECTION] of the old Act. A reference to [SECTION] would show that if the Income-tax Officer in the course of any proceeding in connection with the regular assessment is satisfied that any assessee has furnished under Sub-section (2) the estimates of the tax payable by him which he knew or had reason to believe to be untrue he shall be deemed to have deliberately furnished inaccurate particulars of his income within the meaning of [SECTION] of the Act The Tribunal has found that the Income-tax officer made a revised demand requiring she appellan to pay by way of tax the sum of Rs. 1,03,458.75. The appellant filed a revised estimate on September 13, 1956 showing an income of Rs. 50,000/- and paid a tax in the sum of Rs. 23 000. The estimate of the income was repeated on 14-12-1956, Thereafter no revised estimate was submitted by the assessee. The assessment was completed on 31-8-1960 and the total income was determined at Rs. 2,09,968/ as against the income of Rs. 84.220/- shown by the assessee. The explanation offered by the assessee was that certain bills were revised in the month of December 1956 and as a result of this he had received a profit of Rs. 40 218/- and, therefore, it had not made an incorrect estimate on 13-9-1956 The Tribunal observed that "it may be correct upto some extent but the appellant knew correct position on 3lst December, 1956 and so he could revise his estimate with some extent of accuracy on 15th March, 1967, which he had not cared to do. This clearly shows that the appellant never intended to pay tax on correct basis." The question is whether in these circumstances the provisions of [SECTION] with [SECTION] of the Act were attracted. Their Lordships of the Supreme Court in [ENTITY]'s case [PRECEDENT] laid down that when the point for determination is a pure question of law such as construction of a statute the decision of the Tribunal is open to reference to the court under [SECTION]. The question in essence is whether on the facts found the provisions of law are attracted. In any event when the point for determination is a mixed question of law and fact treating the findings of fact by the Tribunal as final its decision as to the legal effect of those findings it is a question of law which can be reviewed by the court Questions such as the one before us have been considered and decided in the United Asian Traders case . In [ENTITY]'s case of the Madras High Court a similar qutstion arose and was answered whether the assessee's failure to submit a revised return in March 1953 was a relevant consideration as the mens rea of the assessee at the time when he made the estimate could not be adjudged by his subsequent conduct We, therefore, find that the question raised before us is a question of law and at any rate a mixed question of law and fact and can be referred under [SECTION] of the [ACT].
6. Let us now examine whether in the circumstances of the case the penalty imposed on the assessee under [SECTION] read with [SECTION] was valid in law. The relevant provisions of the law may be quoted in the interest of exactitude:
[SECTION] If the Income-tax Officer, in the course of any procee-ings in connection with the regular assessment, is satisfied that any assessee
(a) has furnished under Sub-section (2) or Sub-section (3) estimates of the tax payable by him which he knew or had reason to believe to be untrue or
(b) has without reasonable cause failed to comply with the provisions of Sub-section (3), the assessee shall be deemed, in the case referred to in Clause (a), to have deliberately furnished inaccurate particulars of his income, and in the case referred to in Clause (b), to have failed to furnish the return or his total income; and the provisions of [SECTION], so far as may be, shall apply accordingly:
[SECTION] reads,
[SECTION]. Penalty for concealment of income or improper distribution of profits. (1) If the Income-tax Officer, the Appellate Assistant Commissioner or the Appellate Tribunal in the course of any proceedings under this Act, is satisfied that any person
(c) has concealed the particulars of his income or deliberately furnished inaccurate particulars of such income, he or it may direct that such person shall pay by way of penalty, in the case referred to in Clause (a), in addition to the amount of the income-tax and super-tax, if any, payable by him, a sum not exceeding one and a half times that amount, and in the cases referred to in Clauses (b) and (c), in addition to any tax payable by him, a sum not exceeding one and a half times the amount of the income-tax and super-tax, if any, which would have been avoided if the income as returned by such person had been accepted as the correct income:
While examining the provisions of [SECTION] of the Act the Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court in [ENTITY]'s case [PRECEDENT] have made the following observations:
But one of the principal objects in enacting [SECTION] is to provide a deterrent against recurrence of default on the part of the assessee. The section is penal in the sense that its consequences are intended to be an effective deterrent which will put a stop to practices which the legislature considers to be against the public interest.
They have further observed in paragraph 6, Before penalty can be imposed the entirety of circumstances must reasonably point to the conclusion that the disputed amount qrepresented income and that the assesses had consequently concealed the particulars of his income or had deliberately furnished inaccurate particulars. (Emphasis is ours).
The assessee in the case before us had furnished particulars estimating its income at Rs. 50,000/ on September 13, 1956. Thereafter on the 14th December 1956 it repeated its estimate at Rs. 50,000/-. It is not in dispute that the income of the assessee was finally settled at Rs. 97,470/-. It is also not controverted and in fact the Tribunal has observed that it is correct to some extent that the assessee received Rs. 40, 218/ in the month of December from some unexpected sources, but the Tribunal says that the assessee knew the correct position on 31st December, 1955 and so he could revise his estimates with soma accuracy by filing a revised estimate on 15th March, 1957. While submitting its statement of case the Tribunal has used very significant language when it observed, "the sequence of events establish that the estimate filed on the 13th of September, 1956 ceased to be an honest estimate." The Tribunal accordingly held that the penalty under [SECTION] was attracted.
7. The question which emerges for our consideration is what is the point of time when the assessee should know that the estimate furnished by him is untrue or he has reason to believe it to be untrue? In our opinion the knowledge that the estimate is untrue or which the assessee believes to be untrue must be at the point of time when he submits the estimate. According to the provisions of [SECTION] if the assessee knowingly submits an untrus estimate he is deemed to have deliberately furnished inaccurate particulars. The knowledge or reason to believe that the estimate is untrue mast be contemporaneous with the furnishing of the estimate. It does not appear to be the intention of the law that if an estimate of Income is submitted honestly & if it turns out to be incorrect due to some unexpected income later the estimate originally honest becoms dishonest and the assessee should be penalised. The grammatical construction of [SECTION] clearly supports this interpretation. The important condition to which their Lordships of the Supreme Court referred in the judgment quoted above is the consciousness on the part of the assessee at the time of the furnishing of the estimate which is material for attracting the penal provisions. Consciousness is a state of mind which must be correlated to the state of affairs at a given point of time, viz. when the estimate of income is submitted. In our opinion the Legislature did not intend to levy penalty on those who lacked the capacity of the correct anticipation. The truth or otherwise of an estimate at a given point of time is the gravamen of the charge in a proceeding under [SECTION]. And, therefore, in our view the learned Members of the Tribunal were in error when they observed that the estimate given on the 13th September, 1956 and repeated on the 14th December, 1956 "ceased to be an honest" estimate by subsequent events and therefore, the provisions of [SECTION] were attracted. It would be punishing an assessee for its incapacity to predict. The learned Members have themselves accepted that the unexpected income, which made a substantial addition of Rs. 40, 218/-, came in the latter part of December, 1958. The assessee had estimated his income at Rs 50,000/. The income which came to be assessed for the relevant year was about Rs. 97,000/- and the unexpected income was Rs. 40,000/- and odd. The total disparity between the estimate and the income of assessee assessed is about Rs. 7,000/-, We are aware of certain authorities of some. High Courts which have been cited before us where bare disparity of the figure has not been considered to be conclusive. With great respect we agree that the "bare fact" of disparity between the estimate and the actual income would not necessarily lead to an inference that it was untrue as held in [PRECEDENT] or for that matter in [ENTITY]'s case [PRECEDENT], but we are of the opinion that it is not altogether an irrelevant consideration for assessing the truth or untruth of the estimate in the circumstances of the case before us.
8. The next argument urged by the learned Counsel for the Revenue based on the reasons given by the learned Members of the Tribunal was the failure to the part of the assessee to file its revised return by the 15th of March. 1957 which could have included unexpected income. In this context the observations made by the learned Judges of the Madras High Court in [ENTITY]'s case [PRECEDENT] appear to us to be relevant. Quoting from the head-note which correctly summarises the position, the observations are:
Held that the assessee made an honest and fair estimate in September, 1952, upon which the paid the advance tax, The assessee's failure to submit revised return in March, 1953, was not a relevant consideration as the mens rea of the assessee at 'he time when he made the estimate could not be adjudged by his subsequent conduct. The imposition of penalty was therefore unwarranted. Penal provisions have to be so construed so as not to affect the subject unless he is plainly caught within the literal statutory language.
We are in respectful agreement with the aforesaid proposition. Neither the subsequent events nor the subsequent conduct will relate back to the truth or falsity of an earlier estimate made by an assessee on the state of its accounts as it existed on the date when he made the estimate of his income as required under [SECTION] of the Act. [SECTION] does not punish the failure to revise the estimated return but an untrue estimate furnished. It is not necessary to examine other cases cited before us for they do not directly assist us in answering the question referred to us.
9. In view of what we have said above in the facts and circumstances of the case the levy of penalty of Rs. 2,500/-on the assessee under [SECTION] with [SECTION] of the Act was NOT valid in law.
10. The reference is answered accordingly. The department shall pay the costs of the assessee.