Eastern Impex Corporation vs. Deputy Commissioner, State Tax, Bowbazar Charge And Ors.
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The petitioner, M/s. Eastern Impex Corporation, challenged an order dated May 17, 2024, passed by the appellate authority under Section 107 of the Central/West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The appeal was rejected for being barred by limitation. The original order under Section 73(9) of the Act was passed on October 5, 2023, for the tax period July 2017 to March 2018. The petitioner filed an appeal and made the mandatory pre-deposit of Rs. 10,900/-. A delay of 2 days in filing the appeal was explained by the petitioner through an application dated February 7, 2024, citing lack of proper knowledge of the GST portal. The petitioner contended that the appellate authority rejected the appeal without properly considering the grounds for condonation of delay.
Held
The Court held that the appellate authority ought to have appropriately considered the application for condonation of delay. The Court found that there was no lack of bona fide on the part of the petitioner, who had made the pre-deposit and filed the appeal. The delay of 2 days was considered minor, and the petitioner's explanation regarding lack of knowledge of the GST portal was noted. The Court observed that the appellate authority's reasoning, that delay could only be condoned if the appeal was filed within one month beyond the prescribed time, ran counter to the observations made by a Division Bench of the same Court in S. K. Chakaraborty & Sons v. Union of India & Ors. The Court concluded that the appellate authority had failed to exercise the jurisdiction vested in it. Accordingly, the Court condoned the delay in preferring the appeal, set aside the order dated April 30, 2024 (presumably the appellate authority's order rejecting the appeal), and directed the appellate authority to hear and dispose of the appeal on merits within 8 weeks.
Key Issues
1. Whether the appellate authority erred in rejecting the appeal on the ground of limitation without appropriately considering the petitioner's application for condonation of delay, particularly when the delay was only 2 days and the petitioner claimed lack of knowledge of the GST portal? Petitioner's arguments: The petitioner argued that the appellate authority's order was perverse as it failed to take note of the grounds for condonation of delay. They contended that the appellate authority was competent to condone the delay, and the rejection was contrary to the principles of natural justice and the petitioner's bona fide intent to pursue the appeal. They relied on the case of S. K. Chakaraborty & Sons v. Union of India & Ors. Revenue's arguments: The State-respondents were represented, but the judgment does not record any specific arguments made by them regarding the limitation issue or the condonation of delay.
Sections Cited
Section 107, Section 73, Section 73(9), Section 107(6)
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
ss 10.01.2025 M/s. Eastern Impex Corporation Vs. Deputy Commissioner, State Tax & Ors.
Mr. Debanju Basu Thakur Ms. Mandira Routh … … for the petitioner Mr. A. Ray Mr. Md. T.M. Siddiqui Mr. N. Chatterjee Mr. T. Chakraborty Mr. S. Sanyal … … for the State.
The present writ petition has been filed, inter alia, challenging the order dated 17th May, 2024, passed by the appellate authority under Section 107 of the Central/West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the "said Act"), whereby the petitioner's appeal had been rejected on the ground that the same was barred by limitation. The facts are not in dispute. In connection with a proceeding initiated under Section 73 of the said Act, for the tax period July, 2017 to March, 2018 an order under Section 73(9) of the said Act was passed on 5th October, 2023. Although, the petitioner had preferred an appeal from the aforesaid order and simultaneously, with the filing of the appeal, had also made pre-deposit of Rs.10,900/- as is required for maintaining the appeal under the provisions of Section 107(6) of the said Act, there had been delay in filing of the appeal. In such circumstance, the petitioner -2- had also filed an application on 7th February, 2024 explaining the delay in preferring the appeal. According to the petitioner, the appellate authority without appropriately taking note of the grounds for condonation of delay had rejected the appeal, inter alia, on the ground that appellate authority is competent only to condone the delay provided the appeal is filed within the period of one month beyond the time prescribed. He submits that the aforesaid order is perverse, In the facts of this case this Court may be pleased to restore the appeal by condoning the delay. Mr. Siddiqui, learned advocate enters appearance on behalf of the State-respondents. Heard the learned advocates appearing for the respective parties and considered the materials on record.
Admittedly, in this case the petitioner had filed an appeal challenging the order passed under Section 73(9) of the said Act. Simultaneously, with the filing of the appeal, the petitioner had also made pre-deposit of Rs. 10,900/- as is required for maintaining the appeal. As such there is no lack of bona fide on the part of the petitioner in preferring the appeal. It appears that the petitioner had also made a prayer for condonation of delay, inter alia, claiming that by reasons of lack of proper knowledge of the GST portal there had been delay in filing the appeal. There appears to be a delay of 02 days in filing the appeal.
-3- Taking into consideration that the petitioner is a small businessman and there is no lack of bona fide on the part of the petitioner and one does not stand to gain by filing a belated appeal, I am of the view that in the instant case, the appellate authority ought to have appropriately considered the application for condonation of delay filed by the petitioner. The appellate authority, however, appears to have rejected the appeal on the ground of limitation by, inter alia, holding that the delay can only be condoned provided the same is filed within the period of one month of the time prescribed. The aforesaid observation made by the appellate authority runs counter to the observation made by the Hon'ble Division Bench of this Court in the case of S. K. Chakaraborty & Sons v. Union of India & Ors., reported in 2023 SCC Online Cal 4759. The aforesaid would demonstrate that the appellate authority had failed to exercise the juri iction vested in it. Having regard to the above and taking note of the explanation given by the petitioner while setting aside the order dated 30th April 2024, I condone the delay in preferring the appeal. Accordingly, I direct the appellate authority to hear and dispose of the appeal, on merit, upon giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, within a period of 8 weeks from the date of communication of this order.
-4- With the above observations and directions, the writ petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. All parties shall act on the basis of the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this Court. (Rajarshi Bharadwaj, J.)
Reproduced from the public record of the Calcutta High Court. Verify against the court's own copy before relying on it. Income tax judgments are on bharattax.net.