AABID ALI KHAN vs THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX

Judgment text excerpt

$~11 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 08.04.2026 + ITA 262/2026 CM APPL. 19494/2026 CM APPL. 19495/2026 AABID ALI KHAN ....Appellant Through: Ms. Sonia Mathur, Sr. Adv. With Mr.Rajendra Sahu, Ms. Shubhi Bhardwaj, Mr. Sushil Kumar Dubey, Ms. Sadeena Khan and Ms. Manasi Sridhar, Advocates Versus THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX .....Respondent Through: Mr. Shlok Chandra, Sr. Standing Counsel with Ms. Naincy Jain, Ms. Madhavi Shukla, JSCs and Mr. Udit Dad, Advocates CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DINESH MEHTA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VINOD KUMAR VINOD KUMAR, J. (ORAL) 1. The present appeal preferred under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (in short “the Act”) is directed against an order dated 14.11.2025 passed by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Delhi Bench ‘A’, New Delhi (in short “ITAT”) in ITA No. 1714/DEL/2024. The present appeal pertains Signature Not Verified Signed By:PRAMOD KUMAR VATS ITA 262/2026 Page 1 of 13 Signing Date:23.04.2026 17:13:29 to Assessment Year (AY) 2017-18. The facts as per the Assessment Order dated 17.05.2021 2. The Appellant-Aabid Ali Khan, resident of 2016, First Floor, Bank Street, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 is a holder of Permanent Account Number (PAN) AGQPK0737J. The assessment order dated 17.05.2021 has been reproduced by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) [in short CIT(A)] in his order dated 16.02.2024. 3. Facts as per the Assessment order reveal that on 07.03.2017, the police authorities at Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh intercepted a bus coming from Lucknow and bound for Delhi on the basis of secret information and seized cash amounting to Rs.68,47,000/- along with some contraband substance described as "brown sugar" from four persons namely Mujahid, Shadab, Taufeek and Deepu Goswami. During in