Gujarat High Court
Two Days Delay In Paying Last Instalment Under VAT Amnesty Scheme Owing To Technical Glitch Is Condonable: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court has extended benefit of Amnesty Scheme under the Gujarat Value Added Tax (GVAT) Act, 2003 to dealer who was precluded from making full payment under the Scheme on account of 'automatic' re-adjustment of instalment amount. The Division Bench, comprising Justice Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi set aside rejection of application under the Scheme noting that non-payment of differential amount was only due to technical glitches of the online portal. The...
Private Hospitals Liable To Pay VAT On Supply Of Medicines & Implants To In-Patients: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court has held that the supply of medicines and implants by private hospitals to in-patients amounts to 'deemed sale' and is liable to VAT (Value Added Tax). The issue before the bench was whether the supply of medicines, stents, implants, consumables, etc., during the course of treatment of patients amounts to 'sale' as defined in section 2(23) of the VAT Act. The bench, consisting of Justices Bhargav D. Karia and D.N. Ray, observed that after the 46th Amendment...
Multiple Agreements Forming Part Of Same Commercial Project Can Be Referred To Single Arbitration: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court recently held that various agreements entered into between the parties forming part of the same commercial project can be referred to Arbitration, and one arbitrator can be appointed to adjudicate all the disputes arising from the various agreements. The Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, while hearing a petition u/s 11 of the A&C Act, moved by Adani Enterprise Ltd. (“Petitioner”) held that the General Condition of Contracts (“GCC”) and the General...
Gujarat High Court Approves One-Time Ex-Gratia Payment For Company-Paid Staff Of Official Liquidator's Office
The Gujarat High Court has approved a one-time ex-gratia welfare payment to 12 company-paid staff employed under the office of the official liquidator. “The welfare measure of a one-time ex-gratia payment is justified in equity provided that it doesn't prejudice the entitlement of stakeholders in liquidation proceedings,” Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Mauna M. Bhatt. Background The official liquidator filed the report seeking the High Court's direction to invest ex-gratia amounts from...
Customs Commissioner Cannot Reassess Duty On Warehoused Imports Cleared From Refineries Beyond His Jurisdiction: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court stated that the customs commissioner cannot reassess duty on warehoused imports cleared from refineries beyond his jurisdiction. Justices Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Pranav Trivedi agreed with the Tribunal that a proper officer having the administrative jurisdiction over the respective refineries where the goods were removed under section 67 of the Customs Act, 1962, only could have assumed the jurisdiction for reassessment and not the Commissioner, ...
Revenue Cannot Treat Sale Price As 'Tax Inclusive' Without Proof: Gujarat High Court Quashes ₹25.53 Crore Penalty On Coca-Cola
The Gujarat High Court, while quashing the penalty of Rs. 25.53 Cr. on Hindustan Coca-Cola, stated that the amount of tax could not have been bifurcated by the revenue simply because the sales had been inclusive of tax. The bench found that there is no evidence on record to show that the assessee had collected any amount by way of tax from its distributors, retailers or customers, as the sales invoice shows the 'Nil' tax in the sales tax column along with the fact that there was an...
Filing Certified Copy Of Arbitration Agreement Not Mandatory When Undisputed Agreement Is Already On Record: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that an application under section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Arbitration Act) cannot be rejected merely on the ground that a certified copy of the agreement was not produced along with it when the same agreement containing the arbitration clause is already on the record and undisputed between the parties. Justice Maulik J. Shelat held that “Merely because a certified copy of the arbitration agreement was not filed would not render the...
Courts Not Expressly Barred From Dismissing Petitions Under Arbitration Act For Non-Prosecution: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that negligence or inaction on the part of counsel cannot justify condonation of unexplained and long delay. The court further held that the court is not prohibited from dismissing the petitions under section 34 for non prosecution. Justice Maulik J. Shelat held that “there is no express bar under the Act, 1996 not to dismiss such applications for non-prosecution. True, Section 19 of the Act, 1996 would suggests that Arbitration Tribunal not bound by the...
NCLT President Cannot Transfer Cases Beyond Territorial Jurisdiction Of Bench: Gujarat High Court In Essar Steel Insolvency Case
The Gujarat High Court has recently held that the President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has no authority to transfer cases from one State to another through administrative orders.The ruling came in proceedings linked to the Essar Steel insolvency process, where the court also found that repeated recusals by NCLT Members in Ahmedabad were neither "legal" nor "justified."A single bench of Justice Niral R Mehta made the finding in a petition filed by Arcelormittal Nippon Steel India...
Even Non-Signatory Family Members Are Bound By Consent Award Executed By Heads Of Family: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that once heads of two families amicably resolve disputes through composite family arrangement and a consent arbitral award, individual family members cannot later challenge the award even if they were non-signatories on grounds of non-receipt of a signed copy of the award or lack of individual consent. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D.N. Ray held that family arrangements if executed bona fide and voluntarily are binding on all...
NCLT Has Jurisdiction U/S 60(5)(C) IBC To Adjudicate Lease Disputes In Liquidation Proceedings: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court bench led by Justice Niral R. Mehta held that the NCLT has jurisdiction under section 60(5)(c) of the IBC to adjudicate the lease and license dispute during the liquidation proceedings. The petitioners, Fivebro Water Services Pvt. Ltd. and another, had the lease and license agreements with the corporate debtor for its premises in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Thereafter, the liquidation of the corporate debtor was ordered. The liquidator filed an application...
Statutory Interest Mandatorily Payable U/S 56 GST Act On Refunds Delayed Beyond 60 Days: Gujarat High Court
The Gujarat High Court held that statutory interest mandatorily payable under Section 56 GST Act on refunds delayed beyond 60 days. Justices Bhargav D. Karia and Pranav Trivedi stated that the provision of section 56 of the GST Act is a mandatory provision and the interest which is required to be paid under section 56 is compensatory in nature for delayed payment of refund which otherwise is not in dispute. In this case, the petitioner/assessee filed 05 Shipping Bills of Polyester...