Mr.R. Ashok Kumar vs. The Assistant Commissioner Of

Original PDF →
WP/8195/2025HC KarnatakaGSTCNR KAHC01015897202504 April 2025Bench: S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR5 pages
For Petitioner: SRI. GIRIDHAR S V., ADVOCATEFor Respondent: SRI.HEMAKUMAR K.AGA

No AI summary yet for this judgment.

Cause title — parties, addresses and appearances
- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC:14620 WP No. 8195 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 4TH DAY OF APRIL, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO. 8195 OF 2025 (T-RES) BETWEEN: MR.R. ASHOK KUMAR AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS, SON OF MR. RAMACHANDRA, NO. 109/2, 2ND MAIN, 2ND CROSS, TATA SILK FARM, BASAVANAGUDI, BENGALURU - 560 004. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. GIRIDHAR S V., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF COMMERCIAL TAXES (ENFORCEMENT) OFFICE OF THE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER OF COMMERCIAL TAXES (ENFORCEMENT) SOUTH ZONE 'A' BLOCK, FOURTH FLOOR, VTK-2 BUILDING, RAJENDRANAGARA KORAMANGALA BENGALURU - 560 047. 2. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA (THROUGH ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL TAXES, VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI.HEMAKUMAR K.AGA) Digitally signed by KORLAHALLI BHARATHIDEVIKRISHNACHARYA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC:14620 WP No. 8195 of 2025 THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT, ORDER, OR DIRECTION QUASHING THE IMPUGNED ORDER NO. ACCT/AUDIT- 35/DRC-7/AJD.35/2024-2025 DATED 31.08.2024 (ANNEXURE-A) PASSED BY THE RESPONDENT NO.1 AND DECLARE THAT SOLATIUM RECEIVED BY THE PETITIONER FOR COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF LAND IS NOT LIABLE TO GST UNDER SECTION 7(2) READ WITH SCHEDULE III OF THE CGST/KGST ACTS, 2017 AND ETC., THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, 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) Issue a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction quashing the impugned Order No. ACCT/Audit-3.5/DRC-7/AJD.35/2024-2025 dated 31.08.2024 (Annexure-A) passed by the Respondent No.1;

(b) Declare that solatium received by the Petitioner for compulsory acquisition of land is not liable to GST under Section 7(2) read with Schedule III of the CGST/KGST Acts, 2017;

Without prejudice to the above and in any event,

(c) Condone the delay in filing an appeal, if any, and permit the Petitioner to approach the Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Appeals) without prejudice to the merits of the Petitioner's contentions, along with a direction that no coercive steps shall be taken during the pendency of the appellate proceedings; and (d) Pass such other or further orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit in the interest of justice and equity." NC: 2025:KHC:14620

2.

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Addl. Government Advocate for the respondents and perused the material on record.

3.

A perusal of the material on record will indicate that pursuant to the lands of the petitioner being acquired by the State / KIADB under the provisions of the KIAD Act, the petitioner received compensation under Section 29(2) of the KIAD Act in terms of Agreements, documents etc., executed between the petitioner and KIADB. Subsequently, the respondent issued the impugned show cause notice at Annexure-E, dated 11.01.2024, calling upon the petitioner to pay GST on the solatium component in the compensation received by the petitioner, who is before this Court by way of the present petition.

4.

The issue involved in the present petition as to whether solatium received by the petitioner is exigible / amenable to GST is directly and squarely covered by the order dated 10.09.2024 passed by this Court in ‘Smt. Asha R., Vs. The Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and Anr’ passed in W.P.No.2552/2024 and connected matters, wherein it is held as under:- NC: 2025:KHC:14620

11.

In the result, I pass the following:- ORDER (i) W.P.No.2552/2024, W.P.No.17524/2024, W.P.No.10838/2024, and W.P.No.5858/2024 are hereby allowed. (ii) It is hereby declared that the compensation paid in favour of the petitioners towards acquisition of their lands by the State/KIADB under the head ‘Solatium’ is not exigible/ amenable to levy of GST under the provisions of CGST/KGST Act, 2017. (iii) The impugned Notices at Annexures-A and A1 both dated 30.10.2023 issued in W.P.No.2552/2024 and all consequential proceedings are hereby quashed. (iv) The impugned Orders at Annexures-A and A1 both dated 20.03.2024 and impugned Notices at Annexures- B and B1 both dated 09.10.2023 issued in W.P.No.17524/2024 and all consequential proceedings are hereby quashed. (v) The impugned Order at Annexure-A dated 30.12.2023 and Notice at Annexure-C dated 26.09.2023 issued in W.P.No.10838/2024 and all consequential proceedings are hereby quashed. (vi) The impugned Order at Annexure-A dated 04.12.2023 and Notice at Annexure-F dated 26.09.2023 issued in and all consequential proceedings are hereby quashed. NC: 2025:KHC:14620 (vii) The impugned Order at Annexure-A dated 20.12.2023 and show cause Notice at Annexure-F dated 26.09.2023 issued in W.P.No.5858/2024 and all consequential proceedings are hereby quashed.

5.

In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances and the judgment of this Court referred to supra, I am of the view that the present petition deserves to be allowed and the impugned show cause notice at Annexure-E, dated 11.01.2024 and all consequential proceedings deserve to be quashed.

6.

In the result, I pass the following:- ORDER

(i) Petition is hereby allowed.

(ii) The impugned show cause notice Annexure-E, dated 11.01.2024 and all consequential proceedings pursuant thereto are hereby quashed. (S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR) JUDGE

BK : List No.: 1 Sl No.: 78

Reproduced from the public record of the Karnataka High Court. Verify against the court's own copy before relying on it. Income tax judgments are on bharattax.net.