Judgment
APHC010196192026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3529] TUESDAY,THE TWENTY EIGHTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE R RAGHUNANDAN RAO THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE T.C.D.SEKHAR WRIT PETITION NO: 11013/2026 Between:
1. MEGANATHA NAIDU VADLAMUDI, S/O. V. MEGHANANDAM NAIDU, AGED ABOUT 61 YEARS, OCC BUSINESS, 287/4/287/5A, DURGASAMUDRAM, ADAPAREDDY PALLI VILLAGE TIRUPATI, ANDHRA PRADESH.
...PETITIONER AND 1. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL TAX, TIRUPATI CGST DIVISION, TIRUPATI, ANDHRA PRADESH. 517501 2. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, REVENUE (CT) DEPARTMENT, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATHI, GUNTUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH.522237 3. UNION OF INDIA, REP. BY ITS SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FINANCE, 4TH FLOOR, A-WING, SHASTRI BHAWAN NEW DELHI- 110001
...RESPONDENT(S):
Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased topleased to issue an appropriate writ, order or direction particularly in the nature of Writ of MANDAMUS declaring the Impugned composite Order of adjudicating authority -1st Respondent herein passed in Order In Original No. 08/2025-GST-Adjn(AC) in DIN No. 20251255YL0000121542 dated 03-
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12-2025 levying tax, interest penalty and interest under section 74 of GST Act, 2017 for the tax periods 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022- 23 as illegal, arbitrary, improper, unjust and unfair, violative of principles of natural justice, without authority and jurisdiction and also contrary to the provisions of the GST Law 2017 and passed the order in a composite manner which is not permissible under law and in the teeth of the order of this Hon'ble Court in W.P. No. 11028/2025 dated 17-09- 2025 as also violative of articles 14, 19(1)(g), 21, 265 and 300-A of the Constitution of India and consequently to set aside the impugned order dated 03-12-2025 and pass IA NO: 1 OF 2026 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased pleased to stay the Impugned composite Order of adjudicating authority -1st Respondent herein passed in Order In Original No. 08/2025-GST- Adjn(AC) in DIN No. 20251255YL0000121542 dated 03-12-2025 for the tax periods 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 pending disposal of the writ petition else the Petitioner would be put to severe loss and hardship and pass Counsel for the Petitioner:
1. V Y PRABHUVU Counsel for the Respondent(S):
1. SANTHI CHANDRA 2. GP FOR COMMERCIAL TAX
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The Court made the following Order:
(Per Hon’ble Sri Justice R. Raghunandan Rao)
Heard Sri P.Varun Kumar, the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Commercial Tax appearing for the respondents.
2.
The petitioner is a registered person, who has been served with an Order in Original, dated 03.12.2025 vide No.08/2025 – GST-Adjn (AC) by the 1st respondent. This Order in Original covers the period from 2018-2019 to 2022-2023.
3.
The petitioner, after having raised various grounds of challenge, has pressed the ground that, a single order of assessment, issued for more than one financial year, would be violative of the provisions of Section 73 and Section 74 of the GST Act, 2017, and consequently, set aside the impugned order.
4.
A Division Bench of this Court, in W.P.No.11028 of 2025 & batch, after considering the said question, had held that, a single show-cause notice or a single composite assessment order, cannot be passed, in relation to more than one tax period of either a month if the assessment is taken up before the due date for filing of the annual return or for more than one year if the due date for filing of annual return has been reached.
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5.
The petitioner has raised various grounds of challenge. However, the petitioner is pressing the primary ground of the Order in Original being a composite order of assessment. In that view of the matter, the present Writ Petition is being disposed of, on this ground of challenge, leaving open the other grounds of challenge.
6.
Accordingly, this Writ Petition is disposed of, setting aside the impugned Order, dated 03.12.2025 and remand back to the respondents, leaving it open to the respondents to initiate fresh proceedings, for each assessment year separately. Needless to say, that the period from the date of issuance of the impugned order of assessment till the date of receipt of this order shall be excluded for the purpose of limitation. There shall be no order as to costs.
As a sequel, pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand closed.
________________________ R. RAGHUNANDAN RAO, J
_________________ T.C.D. SEKHAR, J
Date: 28.04.2026 KA
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THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE R RAGHUNANDAN RAO THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE T.C.D.SEKHAR
WRIT PETITION NO: 11013 / 2026
Date: 28.04.2026 KA