BHASKARA CAMPHOR WORKS Vs. STATE OF MADRAS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE assessment challenged in this case relates to the assessment year 1960-61. THE assessee, Bhaskar Camphor Works, returned a taxable turnover of Rs. 1, 73, 562.25 for the year 1960-61. But the assessing officer did not accept the turnover returned as correct but proceeded to add a turnover of Rs. 59, 000 as representing turnover of suppressed sales of camphor, to the taxable turnover returned, on the ground that certain quantities of camphor totalling 1642 lbs. were seized by the Central excise authorities from three premises belonging to the assessee. THE camphor so seized by the Central excise authorities was held to belong to the partnership (assessee) and was valued at Rs. 29, 500; and the assessing officer added another Rs. 29, 500 as undetected purchase suppressions. In all, the assessing officer added to the taxable turnover a sum of Rs. 59, 000 and subjected the gross amount to tax at six per cent. on the ground that the turnover represented first sales of camphor within the State.

(2.) THE assessment thus made by the assessing officer was upheld by the Appellate Assistant Commissioner. Before the Appellate Assistant Commissioner, the assessee made a request for postponing the disposal of the appeal so as to enable the assessee to file the final order of adjudication passed by the Central excise authorities. But the Appellate Assistant Commissioner was not inclined to grant the assessee's request. However, before the Tribunal, the final order of the Central excise authorities was produced. That order showed that quantities of camphor recovered from two of the premises had been shown to be not contraband goods and that the quantity seized from the third premises belonging to Manickam Chetty alone represented contraband items. THE assessee contended before the Tribunal that the third premises from which substantial quantity of camphor was seized belonged to Manickam Chetty, and not to the firm as such and that, therefore, the quantity should not be taken as belonging to the assessee-firm. THE Tribunal did not accept the assessee's contention, but proceeded to treat the quantity of camphor found in the third premises also as belonging to the assessee-firm, in view of the fact that Manickam Chetty was a partner of the assessee-firm and he is not other than the father of the other two partners.We are not in a position to say that the Tribunal has erred in inferring that the quantity of camphor found in all the three premises by the Central excise authorities belonged to the assessee-firm. THE question whether the third premises from which the camphor was seized belonged to the assessee-firm or whether it belonged to Manickam Chetty exclusively is one of fact; and all the three authorities below have concurrently held that the camphor seized from the three premises belonged to the assessee-firm, and not to Manickam Chetty exclusively.