Mumbai Capital Value Property Tax Judgment: A Rocket Science by Social Scientists; A Brief Analysis;
The subject of taxation is a “Rocket Science”. The constitution of Nine Judges Bench in the Mafatlal Industries Case, Reported in (1997) 5 SCC 536, running into more than 500 pages; the extremely contested Vodafone litigation; and the present Judgment of Bombay High Court running into 310 Pages, at least furnishes some justification to this statement of Rocket Science. There are umpteen Judgments, some of which are relied herein also (Para 147), that whilst dealing with challenge to Taxation laws, greater latitude is shown by Constitutional Courts, only for the reason that Taxation / Economic Legislation, by their very nature, are very complex. And hold on, the Regime of Property Tax based on Capital Value of the Property, was brought in force, on the recommendations of Tata Institute of “Social Sciences”. (Para 33 of the Judgment) Did these Social Scientist, nevertheless very respectable, would appreciate an Inch of what was discussed in 310 Pages of Judgment, even assuming t...