SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
SABYASACHI MUKHARJI AND S. RANGANATHAN, JJ.
Commissioner of Sales Tax, U.P., Lucknow, Appellant
Versus
M/s. Super Cotton Bowl Refilling Works, Respondent.
Civil Appeal No. 532 (NT) of 1989 (Arising out of S.L.P. (Civil) No.1293 of 1988) and Civil Appeal No. 533 (NT) of 1989 (Arising out of S.L.P. (Civil) No.1296 of 1988
Decided on 2-2-1989.
AND
Commissioner of Sales Tax, U.P. Lucknow, Appellant
Versus
M/s. Agra Beverages Corporation (P) Ltd., Agra, Respondent.
Advocates appeared
Mr. S. C. Manchanda, Sr. Advocate, Mr. R. S. Rana and Mr. Ashok K. Srivastava, Advocates with him for Appellant; Mr. R. C. Mishra and Dr Meera Aggarwal, Advocate, for Respondent in C.A. No.532 of 1989. Mr. Raja Ram Aggarwal, Sr.Advocate, Mr. Vijay Hansaria and Mr. Sunil K. Jain, Advocates with him, for Respondent in C.A.No. 533 of 1989.
Constitution of India – Article 226 – U.P. Sales Tax (Amendment and Validation) Act No. 23 of 1976 – Section 35 and 31 – U.P. Sales-tax Amendment and Validation Act, 1985 – Section 2 – Uttar Pradesh Sales-tax (Amendment and Validation) Act, 1983 – Uttar Pradesh Fundamental Rules – Rule 56 – Limitation Act, 1963 – Section 5 – Determination- Tribunals- Superintendence- Commissioners- Appeals are from judgments and orders of High Court of Allababad respectively involve a common question appeal arising out of Special leave Petition and facts of appeal arising out of Special Leave Petition order to appreciate contentions raised would be appropriate to deal with facts of appeal arising out of Special leave petition assessee is engaged in repairing and refilling of cotton bowls on shafts which are used as part of calendering machine in textile industry cotton bowl is a shaft made of steel on which a thick layer of cotton is pasted and affixed used in textile finishing industries as an essential part of calendering machine – Held, Commissioners decision final, subject to an appeal to Tribunal where Tribunal is enjoined to hear such an appeal by a bench of three members and where revision is provided only in special cases, in our opinion, it would be improper to interpret the spirit and reason of that law in such a way as to enjoin that a further revision lay to High Court was right that no further revision in such a situation lies to High Court does not eliminate correction by High Court appropriate case by exercise of a writ of certiorari exercises superintendence over all courts and tribunals throughout territory connection Re Gilmores Application not concerned with that situation in these appeals – Appeal dismissed.
JUDGMENT
SABYASACHI MUKHARJI, J. :— Special leave granted and these appeals are disposed of by the judgment herein.
2. These appeals are from the judgments and orders of the High Court of Allababad dated 4th February, 1987 and March 26,1987 respectively. These involve a common question. The facts of the appeal arising out of Special leave Petition No. 1293 of 1988 and the facts of the appeal arising out of Special Leave Petition No. 1296 of 1988 are similar. In order to appreciate the contentions raised herein, it would be appropriate to deal with the facts of the appeal arising out of Special leave petition No. 1293 of 1988. The assessee is engaged in repairing and refilling of cotton bowls on the shafts which are used as part of calendering machine in the textile industry. The cotton bowl is a shaft made of steel on which a thick layer of cotton is pasted and affixed. It is used in the textile finishing industries as an essential part of calendering machine. In the course of its use the cotton pasted on the shaft loses its thickness and shape and after some time it requires repairing and refilling. The assessee in this case moved an application under section 35 of the U.P. Sales-tax Act, 1948 (hereinafter called the Act). It may be mentioned that Section 35 was added by the U.P. Sales Tax (Amendment and Validation) Act No. 23 of 1976. Section 35 of the said Act has been amended by Section 31 of the U.P. Act 12 of 1979.
Section 35 provides for determination of disputed questions by moving an application before the Commissioner of Sales-tax. The relevant part of the said section as it stood at the relevant time was as follows :
"35. Determination of disputed questions
(1) If any question arises otherwise than in a proceeding pending before a court or before an Assessing Authority under Section 7 or Section 21, whether for the purposes of this Act,
(a) any person or association of persons, society, club, firm, company, corporation. undertaking or Government Department is a dealer; or
(b) any particular thing done to any goods amounts to or results in the manufacture of goods within the meaning of that term; or
(c) any transaction is a sale or purchase and, if so, the sale or purchase price, as the case may be, therefor; or
(d) any particular dealer is required to obtain, or to apply for the renewal of registration; or
(e) any tax is payable in respect of any particular sale or purchase and, if so, the rate thereof.
the person or the dealer concerned may, after depositing the fee specified in Section 32, submit an application to the Commissioner of Sales-tax, along with such documents as may be prescribed.
(2) The Commissioner of Sales-tax shall, after giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard, decide, as he deems fit, the question so arising :
Provided that, before giving such decision, the Commissioner of Sales-tax may, in his discretion, ask an officer subordinate to him to make such inquiries as he considers necessary for the decision of the question.
(3) No decision of the Commissioner of Sales Tax under this section shall affect the validity or operation of any order passed earlier by any Assessing Authority, Appellate authority, Revising Authority or the Tribunal.
(4) No question which arises from an order already passed, in the case of the applicant, by any authority under this Act or the Tribunal, shall be entertained for determination under this section.
(5) A decision given by the Commissioner of Sales-tax under this section shall, subject to an appeal to the Tribunal, be final.
(6) xxx xxx xxx."
3. The question that arises in these appeals before us is the true interpretation of sub-sec. (5) of S. 35 of the Act, namely, whether a revision shall lie to the High Court from the decision of the Commissioner under S. 35 of the Act which has been the subject-matter of an appeal before the Tribunal. The respondent dealer moved an application under Sec. 35 of the Act and the decision was rendered in terms of the said section. The de
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