Full Text
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Date of Decision: 23rd April, 2025
AVIRAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND TELECOM PVT LTD .....Petitioner
Through: Mr. Puneet Rai, Mr. Sanjay Sharma & Ms. Srishti Sharma, Advs.
Through: Mr. Vaishali Gupta, Panel Counsel (Civil), GNCTD.
Mr. Prakash Singh Negi and Mr. Sidharth Joshi, Adv. for R-1.
Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral)
JUDGMENT
1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.
2. The present petition has been filed by the Petitioner– Aviral Technology Solutions and Telecom Pvt. Ltd. challenging the show cause notice dated 14th December, 2023 (hereinafter, ‘the SCN’) issued by the Department of Trade & Taxes upon the Petitioner concern pertaining to the tax period April, 2018 to March, 2019. The petition also challenges the consequent order dated 21st April, 2024 (hereinafter, ‘the impugned order’) passed under Section 73 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter, ‘CGST Act, 2017’)
3. Additionally, the present petition also challenges the Notification NO. 9/2023- Central Tax dated 31st March, 2023 and 56/2023- Central Tax dated 28th December, 2023 (hereinafter, ‘the impugned notifications’).
4. The present petition is a part of a batch of petitions wherein inter alia, the impugned notifications have been challenged. The W.P.(C) NO. 16499/2023 titled DJST Traders Private Limited v. Union of India & Ors. is the lead matter in the said batch of petitions. On the last date of hearing i.e., 22rd April, 2025, the parties were heard at length qua the validity of the impugned notifications and accordingly, the following order was passed:
of 2023 (Central Tax). This judgment of the Telangana High Court is now presently under consideration by the Supreme Court in S.L.P No 4240/2025 titled M/s HCC- SEW-MEIL-AAG JV v. Assistant Commissioner of State Tax & Ors. The Supreme Court vide order dated 21st February, 2025, passed the following order in the said case:
7. In the meantime, the challenges were also pending before the Bombay High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In the Punjab and Haryana High Court vide order dated 12th March, 2025, all the writ petitions have been disposed of in terms of the interim orders passed therein. The operative portion of the said order reads as under:
8. The Court has heard ld. Counsels for the parties for a substantial period today. A perusal of the above would show that various High Courts have taken a view and the matter is squarely now pending before the Supreme Court.
9. Apart from the challenge to the notifications itself, various counsels submit that even if the same are upheld, they would still pray for relief for the parties as the Petitioners have been unable to file replies due to several reasons and were unable to avail of personal hearings in most cases. In effect therefore in most cases the adjudication orders are passed ex-parte. Huge demands have been raised and even penalties have been imposed.
10. Broadly, there are six categories of cases which are pending before this Court. While the issue concerning the validity of the impugned notifications is presently under consideration before the Supreme Court, this Court is of the prima facie view that, depending upon the categories of petitions, orders can be passed affording an opportunity to the Petitioners to place their stand before the adjudicating authority. In some cases, proceedings including appellate remedies may be permitted to be pursued by the Petitioners, without delving into the question of the validity of the said notifications at this stage.
11. The said categories and proposed reliefs have been broadly put to the parties today. They may seek instructions and revert by tomorrow i.e., 23rd April, 2025.”
5. As observed by this Court in the order dated 22nd April, 2025 as well, since the challenge to the above mentioned notifications is presently under consideration before the Supreme Court in S.L.P No 4240/2025 titled M/s HCC-SEW-MEIL-AAG JV v. Assistant Commissioner of State Tax & Ors., the challenge made by the Petitioner to the impugned notifications in the present proceedings shall also be subject to the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court.
6. On facts, however, the submission of the Petitioner in the present petition is that on 26th February, 2024, the Petitioner had filed a reply to the SCN issued upon it along with supporting documents. However, the said reply was not considered by the Sales Tax Officer and the impugned order was passed in complete disregard of the reply filed by the Petitioner.
7. It is further submitted on behalf of the Petitioner that the impugned order was passed without affording the Petitioner with an opportunity to be heard. Hence, the impugned order is liable to be set aside on the said grounds.
8. Heard. The Court has considered the submissions made.
9. The Court has perused the records. In this petition, as mentioned above, the Petitioner has filed a reply to the SCN on 26th February, 2024. However, the impugned order has been passed on 21st April, 2024 confirming the demand to the tune of Rs. 13,01,562/-. The relevant extract of the order reads as under: Observation and conclusion of the Assessing Authority: Not Agreed with Tax Payer Specific reasons entered THE REPLY SEEMS NOT RELEVANT TO THIS DEMAND ITEM.
HE FAILS TO PRODUCE THE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN GSTR[1] AND 3B ALSO NOT APPEARED FOR PERSONAL HEARING FOR MADE IN PERSON SUBMISSIONS.
FURTHER THE TAXPAYER HAS ALSO NOT UPLOADED ANY SUPPORING DOCUMENTS SO DUE TO LACK OF INFORMATION NOT OTHER OPTION TO CREATE DEMAND AS PER NOTICE.
10. This Court is of the opinion that the reply filed by the Petitioner along with the supporting documents have not been duly considered before the passing of impugned order. Additionally, the Petitioner has not been afforded an opportunity to be heard. It is also unclear as to whether a personal hearing notice was uploaded on the GST Portal or not or was communicated in any other manner to the Petitioner.
11. In view of the fact that the impugned order has been passed without hearing the Petitioner, an opportunity ought to be afforded to the Petitioner to contest the matter on merits. Accordingly, the impugned order is set aside and the matter is relegated to the Adjudicating Authority.
12. The Adjudicating Authority shall issue to the Petitioner, a notice for personal hearing. The personal hearing notice shall be communicated to the Petitioner on the following mobile no. and e-mail address: Mobile No.: 9810023745 E-mail Address: puneetraiadvocate@gmail.com
13. The reply to the SCN that is already been filed by the Petitioner along with the submissions made in the personal hearing proceedings shall be duly considered by the Adjudicating Authority and fresh order with respect to the SCN shall be passed accordingly.
14. However, it is made clear that the issue in respect of the validity of the impugned notification is left open. Any order passed by the Adjudicating Authority shall be subject to the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court.
15. The present writ petition is disposed of in above terms. All the pending applications, if any, are also disposed of.
PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUDGE RAJNEESH KUMAR GUPTA JUDGE APRIL 23, 2025 dj/ss (corrected & released on 29th April, 2025)