M/S Efd Induction PVT. LTD vs. Union Of INDIA - Karnataka High Court, 09 December 2025

Cause title — parties, addresses and appearances

- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372 WP No. 10540 of 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 9TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO.10540 OF 2023 (T-RES) BETWEEN: M/S EFD INDUCTION PVT. LTD HAVING OFFICE AT PLOT NO.43 AND 44 KIADB BENGALURU AEROSPACE PARK, BENGALURU NORTH TALUK-562 129. REPRESENTED BY ITS AUTHORISED SIGNATORY, MR VISHAL LODHA, AGED 33 YEARS, R/AT FLAT G7, NANDA COMFORTS NO.14, 18TH CROSS, 15TH MAIN, PADMANABHANAGAR BANGALORE-560 061. COMPANY REGISTRATION UNDER ACT, 1956 …PETITIONER (BY SRI. G. SHIVADASS, SENIOR COUNSEL APPEARING FOR SRI. PRASHANTH SABARISH SHIVADASS & SRI. RISHAB J. & SRI. SHRADHA RAJGIRI SMT. DHANYATHA.R & SRI. PRINCESS PREETH, ADVOCATES) AND: 1. UNION OF INDIA THROUGH THE SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF FINANCE (DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE NO.137, NORTH BLOCK, NEW DELHI-110 001. 2. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THROUGH THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, VIDHANA SOUDHA BENGALURU-560 001. 3. THE CENTRAL BOARD OF INDIRECT TAXES AND CUSTOMS MINISTRY OF FINANCE, Digitally signed by CHANDANA B M Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372 WP No. 10540 of 2023 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, CENTRAL REVENUE BUILDINGS L P ESTATE ITO, NEW DELHI-110 002. 4. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL TAX BENGALURU EAST DIVISION-9 GST COMMISSIONEATE 3RD FLOOR, BMTC BUS STAND, OLD AIRPORT ROAD, DOMMALURU BENGALURU-560 071. …RESPONDENTS (BY SMT. ANUPARNA BORDOLOI, CGC FOR R-1; SRI. JEEVAN J. NEERALGI, ADVOCATE FOR R-3 & R-4 SMT. JYOTI M.MARADI, HCGP FOR R-2) THIS W.P IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO QUASH THE NOTIFICATION NO. 53/2018-CT DATED 09/10/2018 ENCLOSED AS ANNEXURE-G AND NOTIFICATION NO 54/2018-CT DATED 09/10/2018 ENCLOSED AS ANNEXURE-H ISSUED BY THE R3 INSERTING RULE 96(10) AS AGAINST PROVISION OF SECTION 16 AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR

ORAL ORDER

In this petition, petitioner seeks the following reliefs: “a. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) in the nature of Certiorari quashing the Notification No.53/2018-CT dated 09.10.2018, enclosed as Annexure-G and Notification No.54/2018-CT dated 09.10.2018, enclosed as Annexure-H issued by the Respondent No.3 inserting Rule 96(10) as against provision of Section 16; HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372 b. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) in the nature of mandamus directing the Respondents to allow the refund of IGST paid by the Petitioner;

c. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) in the nature of Certiorari quashing the statement of Demand No. 10 dated: 15.02.2023 bearing DIN No. 20230257YT00000000B908, along with Form GST DRC- 02 dated 15.02.2023, enclosed as Annexure-A, issued by the Respondent No.4 on the ground that the same is bad in law; d. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) in the nature of Mandamus holding that no interest is payable on the amount of IGST paid to comply with Explanation to Rule 96(10), e. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) in the nature of mandamus directing the Respondents to allow amendment of Bill of Entry in respect of which IGST has been paid; . f. In the alternative and without prejudice to prayer (a), to issue a writ of mandamus directing Respondents to allow the Petitioner to amend the Shipping Bills, invoices and the GST Returns and consider the exports undertaken by the Petitioner as Zero-rated Supply undertaken under Bond or Letter of Undertaking and in effect allow them to claim the refund of the unutilized Input Tax Credit in terms of Section 16(3)(a) of the IGST Act read with Section 54 of the CGST Act and Rule 89 of the CGST Rules by filing an manual application in this regard; HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372 g. To issue order(s), directions, writ(s) reinstating the amounts in the credit ledger by way of TR-6 Challan indicating payment of IGST;

h. To issues order(s), directions, writ(s) or any other relief as this Hon'ble Court deems it fit and proper in the facts and circumstance of the case in the interest of justice.”

Heard learned Senior Counsel for the petitioner and learned CGC for respondent No.1, learned HCGP for respondent No.2 and learned counsel for respondent Nos.3 and 4 and perused the material on record.

In addition to reiterating the various contentions urged in the memorandum of petition and referring to the material on record, learned counsel for the petitioner invited my attention to the order of this Court in the case of M/s Hikal Limited Vs. Union of India and others – W.P.No.15251/2020 dated 09.12.2025, in order to contend that the present petition deserves to be allowed and disposed of in terms of the said order.

Per contra, learned counsel for the respondents submits that there is no merit in the petition and that the same is liable to be dismissed. HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372

As rightly contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner the present petition is directly and squarely covered by the decision of a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the case of M/s – W.P.No.15251/2020 dated 09.12.2025, the operative portion of which reads as under:

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In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances and striking down of Rule 96(10) of the CGST Act and the judgments of the Kerala High Court and other High Courts including Bombay High Court in the petitioner’s own case coupled with the fact that respondents themselves have omitted Rule 96(10) vide Notification dated 08.10.2024, I am of the considered opinion that the impugned Show Cause Notice and all further proceedings pursuant thereto deserves to be quashed.

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In the result, I pass the following: ORDER (i) The petition is hereby allowed. (ii) The impugned Show Cause Notice at Annexure – R dated 07.10.2020 issued by respondent No.5 and all further proceedings pursuant thereto are hereby quashed. (iii) Respondent authorities are directed to refund IGST amounting to Rs.75,55,123/- along with applicable HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52372 interest back to the petitioner as expeditiously as possible and at any rate within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.”

The aforesaid order is applicable to the facts and circumstances of the instant case and consequently, the present petition also deserves to be disposed of in terms of the judgment of this Court in M/s Hikal Limited’s case supra.

In the result, I pass the following: ORDER (i) The petition is allowed and disposed of in terms of the decision of this Court in the case of M/s Hikal Limited Vs. Union of India and others – W.P.No.15251/2020 dated 09.12.2025. (ii) The statement of demand No.10 dated 15.02.2023 along with Form GST DRC-02 dated 15.02.2023 issued by Respondent No.4 enclosed as Annexure- A is hereby quashed. (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE SV