CESTAT held that the amount paid by the appellant during...

CESTAT held that the amount paid by the appellant during investigation, prior to issuance of any SCN, was a mere revenue deposit and not duty under a valid demand. As all proposed demands were subsequently set aside, the amount remained the appellant's property and could not be retained by the Revenue without authority of law, consistent with Art. 300A of the Constitution. CESTAT further held that Ss. 11B and 11BB of the Central Excise Act were inapplicable to such deposits. The appellant is therefore entitled to interest on the refunded amount from the date of initial deposit until the date of actual refund. Relying on prior precedent, CESTAT fixed the rate of interest at 12% per annum. The appeal was allowed, affirming the appellant's right to interest at 12% on the refunded investigation deposit for the entire intervening period.