Section 37C:
Application of retained assets.
1(1) The assets retained under sub-section (5A) of section
37A may be dealt with in the following manner, namely:—
(i) the amount of the existing liability referred to in clause (iv) of the said sub-section and the
amount of the liability determined on completion of the regular assessment or reassessment for all the
assessment years for which the net wealth referred to in clause (i) of that sub-section is assessable to
tax (including any penalty levied or interest payable, in connection with such assessment or
reassessment) and in respect of which the assessee is in default or is deemed to be in default may be
recovered out of such assets;
(ii) if the assets consist solely of money, or partly of money and partly of other assets, the
Assessing Officer may apply such money in the discharge of the liabilities referred to in clause (i) and
the assessee shall be discharged of such liabilities to the extent of the money so applied;
(iii) the assets other than money may also be applied for the discharge of any such liability
referred to in clause (i) as remains undischarged and for this purpose such assets shall be deemed to
be under distraint as if such distraint was effected by the Assessing Officer under authorisation from
the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner under sub-section (5) of section 226 of the Income-tax Act
as made applicable to this Act by section 32, and the Assessing Officer may recover the amount of
such liabilities by the sale of such assets and such sale shall be effected in the manner laid down in
the Third Schedule to the Income-tax Act as made applicable to this Act by section 32.
(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall preclude the recovery of the amount of liabilities
aforesaid by any other mode laid down in this Act.
(3) Any assets or proceeds thereof which remain after the liabilities referred to in clause (i) of subsection (1) are discharged shall be forthwith made over or paid to the persons from whose custody the
assets were seized.
(4) (a) The Central Government shall pay simple interest at the rate of fifteen per cent per annum on
the amount by which the aggregate of the money retained under section 37A and of the proceeds, if any,
of the assets sold towards the discharge of the existing liability referred to in clause (iv) of sub-section
(5A) of that section exceeds the aggregate of the amounts required to meet the liabilities referred to in
clause (i) of sub-section (1) of this section.
(b) Such interest shall run from the date immediately following the expiry of the period of six months
from the date of the order under sub-section (5A) of section 37A to the date of the regular assessment or
reassessment referred to in clause (i) of sub-section (1) or, as the case may be, to the date of the last of
such assessments or reassessments.
Notes:
1. Ins. by s. 156, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-4-1989).