RAGHUBAR MANDAL HARIHAR MANDAL vs THE STATE OF BIHAR

The Supreme Court held that under Section 10(2)(b) of the Bihar Sales Tax Act, 1944, the assessing authority must base its assessment on evidence or material available, rather than mere guesswork. The Court found that the Sales Tax Officer's rejection of the appellant's accounts and subsequent estimation of gross turnover without reference to any evidence was invalid. Consequently, the assessment made was set aside, reinforcing the principle that assessments must be fair and based on available evidence.