2025 (11) TMI 1791 - HC - GST

Natural justice requires hearing before rejecting CGST rectification application; order dismissing request without personal hearing set aside

JCI Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd. Versus The State of West Bengal & Ors.

HC held that even when a statute is silent on procedure for rejecting a rectification application, principles of natural justice must be followed where ... Rejection of petitioner’s application for rectification of an order in original - order impugned passed in total derogation of the principles of natural justice or not - HELD THAT:- The statute is silent as to the course required to be taken by the authority if an order rejecting an application for rectification filed by a person is in contemplation. Does it mean that the explicit mandate to observe principles of natural justice in cases where rectification would adversely affect a person impliedly prohibits observance of such principles in all other cases? The answer in the considered opinion of this Court would be in the negative. The right approach would be to first see if the action or order would have any civil consequence on the person to whom the action or order is directed and to then decide whether principles of natural justice are required to be followed or not. If the action or order would have civil consequence, observance of natural justice would be almost mandatory. If the petitioner’s application for rectification is dismissed without hearing the petitioner that would not be proper dispensation of justice. In view of the case run in the writ petition and in the facts and circumstances of the instant case, this Court is of the view that in the instant case the respondent CGST authority ought to have afforded an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner more so because the petitioner has itself requested for a personal hearing. The order impugned dated August 13, 2025 is set aside and the matter is remanded to the file of the respondent no.6, i.e. Deputy Commissioner, Chowringhee Division, Kolkata North CGST & CX Commissionerate for considering the petitioner’s application afresh and decide the same, in accordance with law - Petition disposed off by way of remand. 1. ISSUES PRESENTED AND CONSIDERED 1.1 Whether an application for rectification under Section 161 of the CGST Act, 2017 can be rejected without affording the applicant an opportunity of hearing. 1.2 Scope and applicability of the third proviso to Section 161 of the CGST Act, 2017 in relation to observance of principles of natural justice in rectification proceedings. 1.3 Whether rejection of a rectification application, involving alleged mismatch in tax determination affecting mandatory pre-deposit for appeal, entails civil consequences necessitating observance of principles of natural justice. 2. ISSUE-WISE DETAILED ANALYSIS Issue 1 & 2: Hearing requirement and scope of third proviso to Section 161, CGST Act Legal framework 2.1 The Court considered the third proviso to Section 161 of the CGST Act, 2017 which provides that where rectification adversely affects any person, the principles of natural justice shall be followed by the authority carrying out such rectification. 2.2 The Court referred to the interpretation of the said proviso by another High Court, wherein it was held that while the third proviso directly applies to suo motu rectification resulting in enhancement, it does not mean that an applicant under Section 161 is not to be heard on an application for rectification; determination of 'error apparent on the face of record' must also be preceded by a personal hearing. Interpretation and reasoning 2.3 The Court held that the third proviso makes observance of principles of natural justice mandatory where rectification itself adversely affects a person, but the statute is silent as to the course to be followed where an application for rectification is proposed to be rejected. 2.4 The Court rejected any implication that the express mandate to observe natural justice in adverse rectification cases amounts to an implied prohibition against following natural justice in other rectification situations, including rejection of rectification applications. 2.5 The correct approach, as stated by the Court, is to first examine whether the proposed action or order (including rejection of rectification) has civil consequences for the affected person; if civil consequences follow, observance of principles of natural justice is 'almost mandatory.' 2.6 Applying this approach, the Court found that outright rejection of the rectification application, without hearing and without reasons, particularly where specific errors apparent on the face of record were asserted, was not a proper dispensation of justice. Conclusions 2.7 The third proviso to Section 161 does not exhaust the requirement of natural justice in rectification proceedings; even where rectification is refused, if civil consequences arise, the authority should afford an opportunity of hearing. 2.8 The respondent authority was required, in the facts of this case and in view of the express request for personal hearing, to grant an opportunity of hearing before rejecting the rectification application. Issue 3: Civil consequences of rejecting rectification application involving tax mismatch and pre-deposit Interpretation and reasoning 3.1 The rectification application alleged, inter alia, mismatch between the tax determined in the summary order in Form DRC-07 and in the detailed order in original, resulting in differing aggregate tax demands. 3.2 It was the applicant's case that this mismatch made it difficult to compute the exact amount required for the mandatory statutory pre-deposit for filing an appeal against the order in original. 3.3 The Court held that even if the impact of the mismatch on the pre-deposit amount were slight, the inability of the applicant to determine the required statutory pre-deposit and the consequent inability or failure to prefer an appeal constituted a 'civil consequence.' 3.4 The Court observed that such an issue necessarily required to be addressed by the authority; and if, in law, it was not required to be addressed, reasons to that effect ought to have been clearly spelt out. The impugned order contained no reasons at all. Conclusions 3.5 Rejection of the rectification application, in the circumstances where the alleged errors could affect the computation of statutory pre-deposit and thereby the effective exercise of the right of appeal, involved civil consequences. 3.6 In such a situation, dismissal of the rectification application without hearing the applicant and without furnishing reasons was held to be unsustainable. Overall Disposition 4.1 The impugned order rejecting the rectification application was set aside on the ground of violation of principles of natural justice. 4.2 The matter was remanded to the concerned authority to reconsider the rectification application afresh, in accordance with law, after affording an opportunity of hearing and by passing a reasoned decision. 4.3 The Court expressly clarified that it did not examine the merits of the rectification application and that the remand was confined to ensuring observance of principles of natural justice.