In Brief
The Supreme Court held that material and evidence found during a survey at the premises of a connected person (builder) can be utilized in block assessment proceedings under the Income Tax Act, 1961. The case involved an assessee who engaged a contractor for house construction and made substantial cash payments. During a simultaneous survey at the builder's premises, evidence of these cash payments was found. The Court ruled that when surveys are conducted as an integral part of a unified search operation, materials collected can be used under Section 158BB read with Section 158BH, as they fall within "other materials or information as are available with the Assessing Officer and relatable to such evidence."
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