Adhvik Polychem's GST Registration Cancellation: Directs Firm to Appeal
Court Refuses to Bypass Statutory Remedy
The has declined to entertain a writ petition filed by Adhvik Polychem challenging the rejection of its application for cancellation of GST registration. A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta directed the firm to pursue the statutory remedy of appeal under , noting that the dispute involved examination of best suited for the appellate authority.
Background: Allegations of Fake Documents and ITC Abuse
The case arose after the petitioner applied for cancellation of its own GST registration, an application that was rejected by the on . The authorities had raised multiple concerns, including that the firm sought registration based on documents whose authenticity could not be verified, that the proprietor had furnished a wrong address, and that the firm was non-existent at its communication address. The rejection order further alleged that Adhvik Polychem had availed excess input tax credit (ITC), engaged in passing ITC from non-existent firms, and failed to respond to multiple show-cause notices and demand proceedings.
The department disclosed a significant increase in the firm's turnover—from approximately ₹9.92 crore in to over ₹45 crore in —which the court noted as a relevant context.
Petitioner's Plea of Harassment Rejected
Counsel for the petitioner argued that the company was being "harassed unnecessarily" through repeated proceedings, pointing out that three earlier show-cause notices for cancellation had been dropped. The petitioner had already submitted a reply to the latest show-cause notice on . However, the court observed that the impugned order noted the petitioner failed to appear for a personal hearing scheduled on .
Court's Reasoning: Disputed Facts Best Left to Appellate Authority
While acknowledging that the existence of an
does not oust the jurisdiction of a constitutional court under Article 226, the Bench emphasized that it is a relevant factor in deciding whether to exercise
.
"Particularly where adjudication of the dispute may require examination of
and
,"
the court noted, the remedy of appeal becomes more appropriate.
The court also highlighted that the proceedings arose
"in the backdrop of the concerns being addressed by the Department in relation to allegedly non-existent and fictitious GST registrations,"
underscoring the need for factual scrutiny.
Key Observations
The court made the following pivotal observations:
"Undoubtedly, the jurisdiction of a Constitutional Court underis not ousted merely on account of availability of an. At the same time, the existence of such remedy is a relevant consideration in determining whether theshould be exercised, particularly where adjudication of the dispute may require examination ofand."
"The present proceedings arise in the backdrop of the concerns being addressed by the Department in relation to allegedly non-existent and fictitious GST registrations."
Final Order
Without expressing any opinion on the merits, the court disposed of the writ petition, relegating the petitioner to the of appeal under Section 107 of the CGST Act. The Bench clarified that the appellate authority would decide the matter uninfluenced by the court's observations.
The decision reinforces the principle that when factual disputes and serious allegations of tax evasion are involved, courts are likely to insist on before entertaining constitutional writ petitions.