The appellant entered into an agreement on 18th May, 1980 with M\/s. Shubhada Prints Pvt. Ltd. for acquiring leasehold rights of immovable property (said land) situated at Majas Village, Jogeshwari (E), Mumbai, for consideration set out therein. The appellant purchaser was required to file a Suit in this Court being Suit No.1077 of 1981 against the vendor Shubhada Prints Pvt. Ltd., inter alia, seeking specific performance of the agreement to assign the leasehold rights in the said land. An earnest money of Rs.25,000\/- had been paid at the time of execution of the agreement. During the pendency of the Suit, the parties arrived at Consent Terms on 11th March, 1988 pursuant to which the defendant – vendor agreed to assign the leasehold rights in the said land at a lump sum of Rs.4,50,000\/- instead the lower consideration originally payable under the suit agreement. The appellant thereafter sold the said land to one M\/s. Associated Estate and Investment Corporation vide agreement dated 29th November, 1988 for a price of Rs.37,70,000\/- resulting in capital gain to him. According to the appellant, he was holding the said land since 1980 i.e. from the date of the agreement dated 18th May, 1980 and hence the gain was long term in nature. The Assessing Officer and Tribunal, however, found that the appellant came into possession only pursuant to the Consent Terms and therefore the amount of consideration received on sale by the appellant is to be treated as short term capital gain and he was assessed accordingly. On appeal by the assessee to the High Court HELD dismissing the appeal:<\/p>\n
(i) Consequent to the vendor not honouring the agreement dated 18th May, 1980, all that the appellant had was a right to seek specific performance which he sought to enforce by filing the suit. The appellant did not have possession of the said land. It is only on the Consent Terms being filed in Court that the appellant got ownership and possession.<\/p>\n
(ii) In our opinion, the assessee-appellant \u2018held\u2019 the property only upon the order being passed upon filing of the Consent Terms in Court on 11th March, 1988. The said land was sold on 29th November, 1988. Therefore it falls beyond the scope of long term capital gains and within the province of short term capital gain. Accordingly, we are of the view that the gains resulting from the sale of the said land in November 1988 would be a short term capital gain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Consequent to the vendor not honouring the agreement dated 18th May, 1980, all that the appellant had was a right to seek specific performance which he sought to enforce by filing the suit. The appellant did not have possession of the said land. It is only on the Consent Terms being filed in Court that the appellant got ownership and possession<\/p>\n