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SOUTHERN ROADWAYS PRIVATE LTD. versus UNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER

Citation: [1962] SUPP. 2 S.C.R. 594 · Decided: 16-01-1962 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: BHUVNESHWAR PRASAD SINHA · Disposal: Dismissed

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Judgment (excerpt)

1H2 
M/,. S-th 
Lid. 
•• 
Bt"' o/ ;1.,.., 
x..., J. 
594 SUPREME OOURT REPORTS (1962] SUPP. 
In view of our decision on these two points 
the third point, that is, the refuse.I of the Sales Tax 
Officer to amend t.he registration certificate will 
have no force. 
In the re8Ult thiB petition fails and is dismi88ed 
and the rule is dillche.rged. The petitioner will pay 
the costs of the respondent. 
P e.tition diamisaed. 
SOUTHERN ROADWAYS PRIVATE LTD. 
v. 
UNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHE1t 
(B. P. S1x1u. C.J., J. L. KAPua, M. HrnAYATULLAH, 
J.C. SHAH and J. R. MunnoLKAR, JJ.) 
lnwme Ta:r-Detelopmtftt Rtbak-DiaallouJanu on offiu 
appliances and tmnaport V<liic/u I/ di«:rimi11atory-J....,,,...taz 
Act, 1922 (11 of 1922) aR amtndtd by tM. Ta:raliott U.wa 
(Amendment) Act (28 o/ 1960, a. 10(2) (ri-b) -4 prolli.to. 
The as~ company owned a fleet of bmes and carried 
on the business of transport. The income-tax offiett dis-
allowed development rebate on the transport vehicles owned 
by the company as provided by the second proviso to s. 10(2) 
(vi-b) of the Income-tax Act. The company challenged the 
section on the ground that the said provbo offends Art. 14 In 
that it discriminates between machinery which is ofrICe appli-
anc.,. or road transport vehicl.,. and other kinds of machinery. 
lleld, that there is nothing in the Constitution which 
prevents the Legislature from choo.ing the objects of taxation 
from amonll"t vaiious classes of machinery for purpose of 
giving development rebate. 
OIUGINAL JuruenrCTION: Petition No. 143 of 
1961. 
Petition under Art. 32 or the Constitution of 
India for the enforcement of Fundamental rights. 
S. Sunminathan and R. GopaJakri.,hnan, for the 
petitioner. 
K. N. Rajagopaki Sastri and P. D. Menon, for 
the respondentAI. 
2 S.C.R. 
SUPREME OOURT REPORTS 
595 
1962 
1962. January 16. The Judgment of the 
Court was delivered by 
KAPUR, J.-This is a petition by the asaessee 
under Art. 3:! of the Constitution challenging the 
constitutionality of the second proviso to s. 10(2) 
(vi-b) of Income tax Act introduced by The Taxa-
tion Laws (Amendment) Act (28 of 1960). The 
relevant section with the proviso is as follows :-
Sou"'4m RoadWt11• 
p,;-Ltd. 
S. 10(1) "The tax shall be payable by an 
s,ssessee under the head "Profits and gains 
of business, profession or vocation" in respect 
of the profits or gains of any business, pro-
fession or vocation carried on by him. 
(2) Such profit• or uains shall be com· 
puted after making the followin~ allowances, 
namely: 
............................................... ' ............ . 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............... . 
(vi-b) in respect, of machinery or plant 
being nPw, which has been installed after the 
3 lst day of March, 1954, and which is wholly 
used for the purposeR of the business carried 
on by the assessee, a sum by way of develop-
ment rebate in respect of the year of installa-
tion equivalent to twer.ty-five per cent of the 
actual cost of such machinery or plant to 
the assessee : 
Provided that no allowance under this 
clause shall be m'lde unless the particulars 
prescribed for the purpose of clause (vi) have 
been furnished by the assessee in respect of 
such machinery or plant; 
Provided further that no allowance under 
this clause shall be made in respect of any 
machinery or plant which consist of office 
appliances or road transport vPhiclPs." 
The petitioner is a limited company with its 
registered office at ;\fadm·qi in the Rtate of llfadras 
v. 
Union of Ind i• 
K¥UrJ. 
1962 
,%1dlu,. Bea·iwllJ' .. 
PriNJI L1d. 
v. 
U11Um o/ lntlia 
K•pur .J. 
J!u;;t 
5!16 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1002) SUPP. 
which owna a. fleet of buses a.nd lorries and carriell 
on the business of transport 
In res1wot of !IBRl'R~· 
ment year I !!60-61 it cla.imoo a. development rPbate 
on all its plants and machiner.v including buPines.q. 
The Income tax Officer diHallowed tho olnim of 
rebate on transport vehicles under the proviso 
above quoted and computed the tax payable with-
out such rebatfl. 
ft was contonderl on behalf of 
the petitioner that the proviso oft'cnrls Art. 14 in 
that it discriminates betweon machinery which is 
office appliance or road transport vehicl<'s and 
other kind of machinery. It is difficult to accept 
such a contention because there is nothing in the 
Constitution which prevents the legislBture from 
r:hoosing thp, object of taxation from 
11mong~t 
various cla

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