The taxpayer, whose 2017‑18 ITR reported only ₹1,79,160 in income, was hit with a ₹11.23‑crore addition after the Income Tax Department flagged large cash deposits and unsecured loans.
Cash deposits of ₹85.93 lakh, unsecured loans totalling ₹9.25 crore, and sundry creditors amounting to ₹1.07 crore were treated as unexplained credits, triggering the addition under Section 143(3).
After a failed appeal at CIT(A) Gurgaon, the taxpayer turned to ITAT Chandigarh, where he proposed planting 500 trees as a condition for re‑evaluation of the disputed amounts.
ITAT’s order requires the taxpayer to plant 500 trees at the Yamuna Bank, Panipat, within a month, with maintenance costs of ₹30 per tree per year.
The plan involves NGO Hari Yamuna Sehyog Samiti; partner Karanjot Singh Khurana of DMD Advocates said the tribunal’s decision reflects a rare chance for compliance and environmental responsibility.
If the taxpayer fails to meet the planting deadline, the CIT(A) order will be reinstated, leaving the ₹11.22‑crore addition unchallenged.