2023 (2) TMI 1405 - HC - GST

Maintainability of writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to challenge the classification of a product - HELD THAT - At the first blush on going through the order passed by the learned Writ Court an impression is created that the conclusion arrived at by the learned Writ Court was perfectly justified. This is because in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India under normal circumstances disputed questions of fact will not be adjudicated. This normal principle is applied in writ proceedings thereby directing the aggrieved person to avail the remedies available under the relevant statue either by way of an appeal to the appellate authority or to the tribunal etc. However in the case on hand a slight departure is required to be made while applying the normal principle which is being applied while considering a challenge to a classification dispute. This is so because as against the order dated 31 st October 2019 impugned in the writ petition the appellant though has an effective alternative remedy by way of an appeal to the GST Tribunal till date Tribunal has not been constituted in the State of West Bengal. The appellant cannot be left without any remedy and therefore in the given facts and circumstances of the case a writ petition was maintainable and is maintainable. The pleadings are complete and the writ petition was required to be heard and decided on merits. However since the learned Single Bench dismissed the writ petition on the ground that the dispute raised by the appellant cannot be adjudicated in a writ petition and should be done before an appropriate forum we are constrained to observe that in the absence of any other alternative remedy available to the appellant there is no other option for the learned Writ Court except to decide the issue on merits and in accordance with law. The order passed in the writ petition is set aside and the writ petition is restored to the file of the learned Writ Court with a request to the learned Writ Court to decide the matter on merits and in accordance with law as the appellant has no other alternative remedy against the order impugned in the writ petition as on date since the GST Tribunal is yet to be constituted in the State of West Bengal. Appeal allowed.

Summary

1. ISSUES PRESENTED and CONSIDERED

The core legal questions considered by the Court in this judgment are:

• Whether a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is maintainable to challenge the classification of a product under the West Bengal Goods and Service Tax Act and the Rules framed thereunder, particularly when the classification involves scientific and technical analysis.
• Whether the Writ Court can adjudicate on disputed questions of fact, such as classification of goods, or whether such disputes must be resolved by the designated appellate authority or tribunal under the relevant statute.
• Whether the absence of a constituted GST Tribunal in the State of West Bengal affects the availability of an effective alternative remedy, thereby impacting the maintainability of the writ petition.
• The procedural propriety of the Writ Court dismissing the writ petition without deciding the merits due to the existence of an alternative remedy, which was not presently available.

2. ISSUE-WISE DETAILED ANALYSIS

Issue 1: Maintainability of Writ Petition Challenging Product Classification under GST Laws

Relevant legal framework and precedents: Under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, High Courts have jurisdiction to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and for any other purpose. However, it is a well-established principle that writ jurisdiction is generally not invoked to decide disputed questions of fact, especially when an efficacious alternative remedy is available under a statute. Taxation and classification disputes are typically adjudicated by specialized authorities or tribunals constituted under the statute governing the tax.

Court's interpretation and reasoning: The learned Single Bench initially held that classification of the product involves scientific and technical analysis, which is beyond the scope of writ jurisdiction. It reasoned that the Writ Court cannot undertake the task of classifying the product under the Customs Tariff Act or GST laws, as this requires expert examination and is a disputed question of fact. Consequently, the writ petition was dismissed on the ground that the appellant should avail the remedy before the appellate authority or tribunal.

Key evidence and findings: The product classification was disputed, and the appellant challenged the order of the appellate authority dated 31st October 2019. The appellant sought to have the classification reconsidered, which involved technical and scientific scrutiny.

Application of law to facts: While the general principle restricts writ courts from deciding such classification disputes, the Court noted that the appellant had no effective alternative remedy because the GST Tribunal in West Bengal had not been constituted as yet. This absence of an alternative forum to adjudicate the matter necessitated a departure from the normal principle.

Treatment of competing arguments: The State argued that the writ petition was not maintainable as the appellant had an alternative remedy by way of appeal to the GST Tribunal. The appellant contended that since the Tribunal was not constituted, the writ petition was the only available remedy. The Court accepted the appellant's position on the non-availability of the Tribunal and held that the writ petition was maintainable in the absence of an alternative forum.

Conclusions: The Court concluded that although ordinarily classification disputes involving scientific and technical questions are not to be decided in writ jurisdiction, the absence of a constituted GST Tribunal rendered the writ petition maintainable. The appellant could not be left remediless.

Issue 2: Whether the Writ Court Should Decide the Merits or Dismiss the Petition on Procedural Grounds

Relevant legal framework and precedents: It is a settled principle that when a writ petition is maintainable, the Court ought to decide the matter on merits unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. Dismissing a writ petition on the basis that an alternative remedy exists is justified only if such remedy is available and effective.

Court's interpretation and reasoning: The Single Bench dismissed the writ petition without deciding the merits, relying on the principle that classification disputes should be decided by the appellate authority or tribunal. However, the Division Bench observed that since no alternative remedy was presently available due to the non-constitution of the GST Tribunal, the writ petition deserved to be heard on merits.

Key evidence and findings: The writ petition was filed in 2019, and the pleadings were complete. The appellant had sought relief challenging the classification order, but the Single Bench did not adjudicate the correctness of the impugned order.

Application of law to facts: The Court noted that the intra-court appeal is limited to examining the correctness of the order passed in the writ petition. Since the Single Bench did not decide the merits, the appellant must return to the Writ Court to have the matter adjudicated.

Treatment of competing arguments: The appellant requested that the Division Bench decide the merits directly. The Court declined, emphasizing that the intra-court appeal is confined to the correctness of the order dismissing the writ petition and not the substantive merits of the classification dispute.

Conclusions: The Court allowed the intra-court appeal, set aside the order dismissing the writ petition, and restored the writ petition to the Writ Court with a direction to decide the matter on merits and in accordance with law, given the absence of an alternative remedy.

3. SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS

The Court established the principle that:

"In the absence of any other alternative remedy available to the appellant, there is no other option for the learned Writ Court except to decide the issue on merits and in accordance with law."

Further, the Court emphasized:

"In exercise of jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, under normal circumstances disputed questions of fact will not be adjudicated. This normal principle is applied in writ proceedings thereby directing the aggrieved person to avail the remedies available under the relevant statute either by way of an appeal to the appellate authority or to the tribunal etc. However, in the case on hand, a slight departure is required... as the GST Tribunal has not been constituted in the State of West Bengal."

On procedural scope, the Court held:

"The correctness of the order passed in the writ petition alone can be decided in an intra-court appeal and under normal circumstances we are not required to examine the correctness of the order which was impugned in the writ petition, more so, when the learned Writ Court has not given any finding as to the correctness or otherwise of the order impugned before it."

Thus, the final determinations were:

• The writ petition challenging the classification order under GST laws is maintainable in the absence of an alternative appellate forum.
• The Writ Court must decide the writ petition on merits and in accordance with law rather than dismissing it on procedural grounds.
• The intra-court appeal is limited to reviewing the correctness of the order dismissing the writ petition and does not permit the appellate court to decide the substantive classification dispute.
• The writ petition was restored to the Writ Court with liberty to the appellant for early listing and adjudication.