High Court · 2025

W.P.No.25743 of 2025IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRASDated : 17.07.2025CORAMTHE HON'BLE Mr. JUSTICE KRISHNAN RAMASAMYW.P.No.25743 of 2025& W.M.P.Nos.28939 & 28943 of 2025Tvl Sri Gayathri MetalRep by its Proprietor Mr. Harish Kumar, No.68, Laxmi Garden, Athipalayam Road, Near CRI Pump, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu - 641049 ... Petitioner Vs. The Assistant Commissioner (ST)Office of the Assistant Commissioner (ST), Annur Assessment Circle, Annur, Coimbatore. ... RespondentsPrayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, call for the records of the Impugned Rectification Order in Ref. No. ZD3303251447992 dated 19.03.2025 under Section 74 of the CGST/TNGST Act, 2017 and uploaded the same along with the summary of order in DRC08 for the Financial Year 2022-23 issued by the respondent herein from the files of the respondent herein, QUASH the same, and further DIRECT the 1/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 2025respondent herein to grant refund of the amount recovered from the petitioner to an extent of Rs.11,54,029/- For Petitioner: Ms.Aparna NandakumarFor Respondent: Mr.V.Prasanth Kiran, GAORDERThis writ petition has been filed challenging the impugned order dated 19.03.2025 passed by the respondent.2. Ms.V.Prashanth Kiran, learned Government Advocate, takes notice on behalf of the respondents. By consent of the parties, the main writ petition is taken up for disposal at the admission stage itself.3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that in this case, all notices/communications were uploaded by the respondent under the “View Additional Notices and Orders” column in the GST common portal. Since the petitioner was not aware of the said notices, they failed to file their reply within the time. Under these circumstances, the 2/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 2025impugned order came to be passed by the respondent without providing any opportunity of personal hearing to the petitioner. Therefore, this petition has been filed. 4. Further, he would submit that the respondent has already recovered a sum of Rs.11,54,029/-, out of total disputed tax liability of Rs.38,18,866.50/-, from the petitioner. Hence, he requests this Court to grant an opportunity to the petitioner to present their case before the respondent by setting aside the impugned order. 5. On the other hand, the learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents would submit that the respondent had uploaded the notices in the GST Online Portal. But the petitioner failed to avail the said opportunity. Further, he has fairly admitted that no opportunity of personal hearing was provided to the petitioner prior to the passing of impugned order. Therefore, he requested this Court to remit the matter back to the respondent.3/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 20256. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and and the learned Government Advocate for the respondents and also perused the materials available on record. 7. In the case on hand, it is evident that the show cause notice and subsequent reminders were uploaded on the GST Portal Tab. According to the petitioner, he was not aware of the issuance of the said show cause notice and the reminders issued through the GST Portal and the original of the said show cause notice and reminders were not furnished to them. In such circumstances, this Court is of the view that the impugned assessment order came to be passed without affording any opportunity of personal hearing to the petitioner, confirming the proposals contained in the show cause notice. 8. No doubt, sending notice by uploading in portal is a sufficient service, but, the Officer who is sending the repeated reminders, inspite of the fact that no response from the petitioner to the show cause notices etc., the Officer should have applied his/her mind and explored the 4/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 2025possibility of sending notices by way of other modes prescribed in Section 169 of the GST Act, which are also the valid mode of service under the Act, otherwise it will not be an effective service, rather, it would only fulfilling the empty formalities. Merely passing an ex parte order by fulfilling the empty formalities will not serve any useful purpose and the same will only pave way for multiplicity of litigations, not only wasting the time of the Officer concerned, but also the precious time of the Appellate Authority/Tribunal and this Court as well. 9. Thus, when there is no response from the tax payer to the notice sent through a particular mode, the Officer who is issuing notices should strictly explore the possibilities of sending notices through some other mode as prescribed in Section 169(1) of the Act, preferably by way of RPAD, which would ultimately achieve the object of the GST Act. Therefore, this Court finds that there is a lack of opportunities being provided to serve the notices/orders etc., effectively to the petitioner.5/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 202510. Further, it was submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the respondent has already recovered a sum of Rs.11,54,029/-, out of total disputed tax liability of Rs.38,18,866.50/-, from the petitioner. In such view of the matter, this Court is inclined to set aside the impugned order dated 19.03.2025 passed by the respondent. Accordingly, this Court passes the following order:- (i) The impugned order dated 19.03.2025 is set aside and the matter is remanded to the respondent for fresh consideration.(ii) The petitioner shall file their reply/objection along with the required documents, if any, within a period of three weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.(iii) On filing of such reply/objection by the petitioner, the respondent shall consider the same and issue a 14 days clear notice, by fixing the date of personal hearing, to the petitioner and thereafter, pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law, after hearing the petitioner, as expeditiously as possible. 6/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 202511. With the above directions, this writ petition is disposed of. No costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are also closed.17.07.2025Speaking/Non-speaking orderIndex : Yes / NoNeutral Citation : Yes / NonsaToThe Assistant Commissioner (ST)Office of the Assistant Commissioner (ST), Annur Assessment Circle, Annur, Coimbatore. 7/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.25743 of 2025KRISHNAN RAMASAMY.J.,nsaW.P.No.25743 of 2025& W.M.P.Nos.28939 & 28943 of 202517.07.20258/8