A registered company discontinued its operations in Sikkim and sought refund of unutilized Input Tax Credit (ITC) worth INR 43,761,402. The tax authorities rejected the refund application, arguing that Section 54(3) of the CGST Act only permits ITC refunds in specific circumstances: zero-rated supplies without tax payment and inverted duty structure situations. Business closure was not included as a valid ground. The company challenged this decision before the Sikkim High Court, which ruled in favor of the taxpayer, holding that Section 49(6) read with Section 54 permits refund of unutilized ITC upon business closure, as no express prohibition exists. The court relied on precedent establishing that absence of statutory prohibition entitles taxpayers to claim refunds, despite the restrictive provisions of Section 54(3). - (AI Summary)