IMPORTANT POINT
Knitted pile fabrics as well as knitted hosiery fabrics of man-made fibres are "unprocessed knitted fabric".

JUDGMENT

D.K. JAIN, J.:

1. These appeals filed by the Revenue under Section 35- L(b) of the Central Excise Act, 1944 (for short "the Act") are directed against the order and judgment dated 21st August 2002 passed by the Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal, (for short "CEGAT"), as it existed then, and the order and judgment dated 8th November 2004 passed by the Custom, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (for short "CESTAT"), whereby both the CEGAT and CESTAT rejected the claim of the Revenue and held that the goods manufactured by the assessee were "unprocessed knitted pile fabrics" classifiable under chapter sub-heading 6001.12 of the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985 (for short "the Tariff Act"), attracting Nil rate of duty.

2. Since the question of law arising for our consideration in all the appeals is similar, these are disposed of by this common judgment. However, for the purpose of appreciating the controversy, a brief reference to the facts in Civil Appeal Nos.1689-1690 of 2003, relating to the same assessee, would be necessary. These are: the assessee company is engaged in the manufacture of knitted pile fabrics as well as knitted hosiery fabrics of man-made fibres. Admittedly, till 30th September 2000, the assessee was declaring the processed goods as dutiable and was paying Excise duty on the same. However, on 3rd October 2000, the assessee submitted a revised declaration claiming that the goods manufactured by it were subject to Nil rate of duty in terms of Notification No. 06/2000-CE dated 1st March 2000 which came into effect from 1st October 2000, forming part of General Exemption No. 66, prescribing Nil rate of duty on "unprocessed knitted or crocheted fabrics", as also under Notification Nos. 9/96 and 18/96.

3. On receipt of the revised declaration, a show cause notice dated 12th December 2000 was issued to the assessee, questioning as to why its stand be not rejected and CENVAT @ 16% ad valorem with AED(ST) @ 8% and AED (TTA) @ 15% of the Excise duty on the goods should not be levied. On 29th December 2000, the assessee replied to the above show cause notice, denying liability on the ground that the fabric was unprocessed. However, the claim of the assessee did not find favour with the Deputy Commissioner, Central Excise, Jalandhar who vide his Order-in-Original No. 222/20/Val/01 dated 29th June 2001, held:

"knitted pile fabrics of sub-heading 6001.12 being manufactured by the noticee be treated as processed fabrics and chargeable to cenvat @ 8% Adv., AED(ST) @ 8% Adv. in terms of notification no. 17/2000 dated 01.03.2000."

4. Being aggrieved by the said orders, the assessee preferred an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals), Customs & Central Excise, Chandigarh. The Commissioner (Appeals), upon consideration of the processes undertaken by the assessee came to the conclusion that these were not covered under Chapter Note 4 to Chapter 60 of the Tariff Act as neither of the processes of carding, knitting and shearing find mention in the said Chapter Note nor these processes can be covered under "any other process" mentioned in the said Chapter Note. Placing reliance on the decisions of the CEGAT as well as on the decision of this Court in Mafatlal Fine Spinning And Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Vs. Collector of Central Excise, Bombay1, the Commissioner allowed the appeal of the assessee.

5. Aggrieved by the said order, the Revenue preferred an appeal before the CEGAT. As mentioned previously, the CEGAT, vide impugned order, dismissed the appeal. Relying on the decision of this Court in Mafatlal (supra), the CEGAT held that operations of shearing, cropping and back coating of the fabric undertaken by the assessee did not amount to processing of the fabric, as contemplated in the said Chapter Note.

6. It would be expedient to mention that in C.A. No. 4541 of 2005 relating to the same assessee, the Commissioner, vide Order-in-Original No. 69/CE/JAL/03 dated 30th July 2003, who had adjudicated on th