Bishwajit Sharma vs. The Union Of INDIA And Ors
Original PDF →Facts
The petitioner, Bishwajit Sharma, engaged in the imitation jewellery business, is registered under the GST Act since December 1, 2018. Due to personal issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, he failed to file GST returns for six consecutive months. Consequently, on January 15, 2023, the Superintendent of Central Goods and Service Tax issued a show cause notice for cancellation of his GST registration. The petitioner's registration was cancelled effective February 16, 2023. He was unable to file an application for revocation within the prescribed time limit. The petitioner approached the High Court seeking restoration of his GST registration, citing similar orders passed by co-ordinate benches.
Held
The Court held that it would serve no purpose to keep the writ petition pending, given that similar matters have been disposed of by this Court and other co-ordinate benches. The Court interfered with and set aside the impugned order dated February 16, 2023, which cancelled the petitioner's GST registration. The Superintendent of Central Goods & Services Tax was directed to inform the petitioner of any outstanding statutory dues up to the date of cancellation. Upon payment of any such dues by the petitioner, the respondent authority is to pass appropriate orders revoking the cancellation and restoring the petitioner's GST registration. The Court reasoned that this would enable the petitioner to comply with his statutory obligations under the GST regime, which is in the interest of revenue collection.
Key Issues
1. Whether the cancellation of the petitioner's GST registration for non-filing of returns for six months, despite personal difficulties and the COVID-19 pandemic, is justified, and if the petitioner should be granted an opportunity to revoke the cancellation, considering the elapsed time limit for revocation applications? The petitioner argued that due to personal problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, his GST returns could not be filed for six months. He highlighted that co-ordinate benches of the High Court have passed orders for the restoration of GST registration in similar cases. The petitioner relied on these previous orders to support his plea. The respondents, represented by the Standing Counsel for GST, did not dispute the existence of orders from co-ordinate benches directing the restoration of GST registration upon complete payment of dues. However, they noted that the order of the appellate authority had not been placed on record by the petitioner.
Sections Cited
CGST Act, 2017
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Cause title — parties, addresses and appearances
ORDER 05.02
.2026
Heard Mr. S. K. Agarwal, learned counsel for the writ petitioner. Also heard Ms. M. Deka, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Mr. S.C. Keyal, learned Standing Counsel, GST, for the respondents.
The petitioner is a businessman engaged in the business of Imitation Jwellery business. The petitioner is an assessee under the GST Act, 2017 and has GST Registration with effect from 01/12/2018 being Registration No. 18BOFPS5559L1Z4. 3. Pursuant to being registered under the GST Act, the petitioner has been regularly submitting his GST returns. However, due to several personal problems and also due to the COVID19 Pandemic situation and lockdown throughout the entire country, his GST returns could not be submitted for a continuous period of 6 (six) months. On 15/01/2023, respondent No. 4 issued a Show cause notice on the petitioner to show cause as to why the GST registration should not be cancelled for not filing the returns for a continuous period of 6 months. The reply was directed to be submitted within 30 days from the date of service of notice.
It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner that by order dated 16/02/2023 under reference No. ZA180223017806N, the GST registration of the petitioner was cancelled. The effective date of cancellation was 16/02/2023. The petitioner tried to file an application for revocation application, however same could not be filed as the time limit prescribed for filing of revocation application was elapsed. The learned counsel for the petitioner refers
Page No.# 3/4 to various orders passed by the Co-ordinate Benches too, whereby this Court had passed orders for restoration of the GST registration.
Ms. M. Deka, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Mr. S.C. Keyal, learned Standing Counsel, GST, for the respondents submits that the order of the appellate authority has not been placed by the petitioner. She however does not dispute the position that orders have been passed by the Co-ordinate Benches directing the restoration of GST Registration upon complete payment of all dues, if any.
The learned counsels for the parties have been heard. Pleadings on record have also been perused.
The petitioner is a businessman engaged in the business of Imitation Jewellery business. Under the GST regime, the petitioner was required to pay the necessary dues under the CGST or SGST as the case may be or both. These statutory dues are required to be paid by all entities who are registered under the GST regime. Such payments of statutory due(s) contribute towards the revenue collection by the Union. If the petitioner is not included within the GST regime, then any statutory dues that may be required to be deposited by the petitioner will not be deposited and which will not be in the interest of the revenue. Therefore, in order that the petitioner is required to comply with his statutory obligations of payment of taxes under the GST regime, it would be necessary for the departmental authorities to re-consider the prayer of the petitioner for revocation of his cancellation of GST registration.
It is submitted at the bar that there are several orders passed by this Court as well as by other Co-ordinate Benches in similar matters whereby the matters have been disposed of with a direction to the respondent authority to revoke the cancellation of registration upon due payment of all statutory dues
Page No.# 4/4 payable by the petitioners. In some matters as in the present proceedings, the assessee had approached the statutory appellate authority for redressal of their grievances which however was rejected by the appellate authority. This Court is therefore of the view that since similar such orders have been passed by this Court as well as other Co-ordinate Benches, it will serve no purpose to keep the present writ petition pending. This present writ petition can also be disposed of in terms of similar orders as had been done by the orders passed in W.P(C) No. 6175/2022, W.P(C) No. 576/2023 and ors.
Accordingly, the impugned order dated 16/02/2023 is hereby interfered with and set aside. It is directed that the Respondent No. 4, namely Superintendent of Central Goods & Services Tax, Guwahati will intimate the petitioner the total outstanding statutory dues, if any, standing in the name of the petitioner till the date of cancellation of his GST registration. Upon such intimation, if any such outstanding statutory dues under GST are required to be paid, the same shall be deposited by the petitioner without fail. Upon such payment of statutory dues under the GST by the petitioner, the respondent authority will pass appropriate orders and revoke the cancellation by restoring the GST registration of the petitioner.
Accordingly, the writ petition stand disposed of. No order as to costs. JUDGE Comparing Assistant
Reproduced from the public record of the Gauhati High Court. Verify against the court's own copy before relying on it. Income tax judgments are on bharattax.net.