Case: Union Of India  Vs. Onkar S. Kanwar

(Removal of Difficulties) Order was not to be given where the proceedings were pending adjudication but only where the show cause notices were pending adjudication. 11. Mr. Vellapally, on the other hand, submitted that only one show cause notice had been issued. He submitted that in the same show cause notice the Company was called upon to show cause whey excise duty and penalty be not levied and the Directors/Officers were also called upon to show cause whey penalty be not levied on them. He submitted that Section 91 of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme makes it clear that on payment being made and a certificate being granted, immunity is granted against prosecution for any offence and from imposition of penalty. He submitted that once the Company settled under the said Scheme, there was immunity in respect of the matter for which the show cause notice was issued. He submitted that penalty was sought to be imposed on the Directors/Officers for the same matter in respect of which the Show Cause Notice had been issued on the Company. He submitted that once the Company got immunity in respect of the matter, nothing survived even against the Directors/Officers. 12. We are unable to accept this submission. Under the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme there is no adjudication on the subject matter of the demand notice or show cause notice. There s a settlement of the "tax arrears". Even though the same show cause notice may call upon the Company and its Directors/Officers to show cause, there is a separate demand for "tax arrears" against the Company and a separate demand for "tax arrears" against the Directors/Officers. Thus each entity/person would have to file a declaration separately. The settlement is in respect of each declaration. Section 91 only gives immunity in respect of matters covered in the declaration. The matter covered in the declaration by the Company in the "tax arrears" of the Company. The declaration by the Company admittedly does not cover the tax arrears of the Directors/Officers. Thus they get no immunity under Section 91 on a settlement by the Company. 13. Mr. Vellapally next submitted that the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order, if read as a whole, makes it clear that the benefit of the declaration made by the Company was to accrue even to the Officers of the Company so long as the adjudication proceedings were pending. He submitted that the interpretation sought to be given by the Department would render nugatory the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order. He submitted that such an interpretation would lead to uncertainty. He submitted that the applicability of the Order could not depend upon whether or not an Officer has been proceeded with adjudication expeditiously or not. He submitted that the object was to give benefit to all Directors/Officers of the Company. He submitted that the restricted interpretation would defeat the object. 14. We have heard the parties. In our view, a reading of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order shows that where a declaration had been made in respect of a tax arrear and where in respect of the same matter a show cause notice had also been issued to any other person, then the settlement in favour of the declarant has to be deemed to be full and final in respect of other persons on whom show cause notices had been issued. It is settled law that when an Appeal is pending there is no finality to the proceedings. The proceedings are then deemed to be continuing. Undoubtedly, at one place the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order seems does state that the show cause notice should be pending adjudication. However, the same order also talks of the show cause notice being in respect of same matter on which the show cause notice has been issued to the main declarant. Then the Order provides that a settlement in favour of the declarant will be deemed to be full and final in respect of other persons also. This Order has tobe read as a whole. If read as a whole, it s clear that a settlement by the main declarant is to operate as full and final settlement in respect of all other persons on whom show cause notice was issued in respect of the same matter. Thus read as a whole the words "pending adjudication" cannot be read to exclude cases where the proceedings are still pending in Appeal. Even otherwise the order has to be read along with the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme. Under the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme a party can file a declaration so long as the proceedings are pending. Thus, even though the show cause notice may have been adjudicated upon and an Appeal is pending a party could still take the benefit of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme and file a declaration. The object of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order is to give benefit of a settlement by the main party (i.e. the company in this case) to all other co-noticees. This being the object a classification, restricting the benefit only to cases where the show cause notice is pending adjudication, would be unreasonable. If read in this manner the Order would be discriminatory. An interpretation which leads to discrimination must be avoided. An interpretation, as suggested by Mr. Ganesh, would also be against the object of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order. It is therefore not possible to accept the submissions of Mr. Ganesh. In our view the reasoning given by the High Court of Kerala is correct and needs to be upheld. 15. In any event this would clearly be a case where two views are possible. It is settled law that if two views are possible then the one which is in favour of the assessee must be adopted. On this ground also the interpretation sought to be given by Mr. Ganesh cannot be accepted.

Court's decision (1 = petition accepted / positive for appellant, 0 = rejected / negative): 0

Reasoning from the judgment:
0[ds]It is settled law that when an Appeal is pending there is no finality to the proceedings. The proceedings are then deemed to be continuing. Undoubtedly, at one place the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order seems does state that the show cause notice should be pending adjudication. However, the same order also talks of the show cause notice being in respect of same matter on which the show cause notice has been issued to the main declarant. Then the Order provides that a settlement in favour of the declarant will be deemed to be full and final in respect of other persons also. This Order has tobe read as a whole. If read as a whole, it s clear that a settlement by the main declarant is to operate as full and final settlement in respect of all other persons on whom show cause notice was issued in respect of the same matter. Thus read as a whole the words "pending adjudication" cannot be read to exclude cases where the proceedings are still pending in Appeal. Even otherwise the order has to be read along with the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme. Under the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme a party can file a declaration so long as the proceedings are pending. Thus, even though the show cause notice may have been adjudicated upon and an Appeal is pending a party could still take the benefit of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme and file a declaration. The object of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order is to give benefit of a settlement by the main party (i.e. the company in this case) to all other co-noticees. This being the object a classification, restricting the benefit only to cases where the show cause notice is pending adjudication, would be unreasonable. If read in this manner the Order would be discriminatory. An interpretation which leads to discrimination must be avoided. An interpretation, as suggested by Mr. Ganesh, would also be against the object of the Kar Vivad Samadhan Scheme (Removal of Difficulties) Order. It is therefore not possible to accept the submissions of Mr. Ganesh. In our view the reasoning given by the High Court of Kerala is correct and needs to be upheld.