1 abs IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 263 OF 1990 Dilip Dharamsey Khatau & Anr. .. Petitioners V/s C.H. Khatri, Gift Tax Officer, Ward 2(1) & Anr. .. Respondents Mr. B.D. Damodar i/b Kanga & Co. for the petitioners. Mr. P.S. Sahadevan for the respondents. CORAM : F.I. REBELLO & D.G. KARNIK, JJ. DATE : 24TH AUGUST 2009 P.C. : 1. By the present petition, the petitioners impugn the notices both dated 31st March 1988 issued by the respondent no.1. By the said notices, the petitioners were informed that the respondent no.1 proposed to re-assess the gift tax that has escaped assessment. The petitioners by communications dated 19th April 1988 and 8th January 1999 called on the respondent no.1 to disclose the reasons based on which the notices were issued. As the petitioners did not receive any reply, the present petition came to be filed. While admitting the petition, this Court granted interim relief in terms of 2 prayer (d). 2. The petition has been filed in the year 1990. Till date, no reply has been filed nor at the time of hearing any reasons produced before us. 3. In a similar matter being Writ Petition No. 3364 of 1987 (Mrs. Rohibni Cedric Santos v. Mrs. Prachi Sinha & Anr.) decided on 6th February 2002, a Coordinate Bench of this Court quashed the notice. 4. In our opinion, for the reasons set out in the above petition, this petition will have to be allowed. In the light of that, the notices both dated 31st March 198 are quashed. Rule is made absolute in terms of prayer clauses (a) and (b). There shall be no order as to costs. (D.G. KARNIK, J.) (F.I. REBELLO, J.)