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2015 (5) TMI 528 - AT - Central ExciseClandestine removal of goods - Valuation of goods - enhancement of value of frit based on the pen-drive recovered from SANYO and writing pads recovered - Held that:- A precise enumeration of all situations in which one could hold with activity that there have been clandestine manufacture and clearances, would not be possible. As held by this Tribunal and Superior Courts, it would depend on the facts of each case. What one could, however, say with some certainty is that inferences cannot be drawn about such clearances merely on the basis of note books or diaries privately maintained or on mere statements of some persons, may even be responsible officials of the manufacturer or even of its Directors/partners who are not even permitted to be cross-examined, as in the present case, without one or more of the evidences referred to being present - reliance on private/internal records maintained for internal control cannot be the sole basis for demand. There should be corroborative evidence by way of statements of purchasers, distributors or dealers, record of unaccounted raw material purchased or consumed and not merely the recording of confessional statements. A co-ordinate Bench of this Tribunal has, in another decision, once again reiterated the same principles, after considering the entire case-law on the subject [Hindustan Machines v. CCE [2013 (5) TMI 543 - CESTAT NEW DELHI]. Members of Bench having hearing initially differed, the matter was referred to a third Member, who held that clandestine manufacture and clearances were not established by the Revenue. Estimation of quantity of goods manufactured and clandestine removal of goods by the appellants can not be slapped on the basis of averages arrived and calculated based on norms of gas consumption in manufacture of 1 MT of frit. It is rightly contested by the appellants that frit manufactured is not covered by any notification issued under Section 3A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 where Compounded Levy has been prescribed and capacity of the unit is required to be fixed on gas consumption basis, as done by the Revenue. It is observed that Revenue has attempted to adopt an estimation method for demanding duty and proving clandestine removal which is not prescribed by law. It has been admitted by Shri V.N. Thakkar (Superintendent) DGCEI in the cross-examination before the Adjudicating authority that when an article is seized, the same is placed in a sealed cover and mention of the same is made in the Panchnama. It is also admitted by Shri Thakkar that as he remembers the seized pen-drive was placed in a paper cover and sealed with adhesive tapes. It is the claim of the appellants that the way the said pen-drive was handled, it is possible that the same could be tempered with as the same was kept in the paper cover sealed with adhesive tapes. A second Panchnama was made on 30.8.2008 where the said pen-drive was mentioned to have been taken out of a sealed cover when the first Panchnama never mentioned keeping the said pen-drive in a sealed cover. It is also observed that on 30.8.2008 the sealed cover was opened but contents of the silver pen-drive were not opened on 30.8.3008 but instead another black colour pen-drive was opened. On 06.9.2008 under a Panchnama the said silver pen-drive taken out of the sealed cover and on opening this pen drive in the Tally Folder, no data was found to be available. It is observed that in Panchnama dated 12.09.2008, the print out of account AJTAK taken contained 52 pages and account of appellant Wellsuit appeared at page 30 out of 52 pages. Another Panchnama dated 24.09.2008 indicate in Annexure A3 that the number of pages of Account Aajtak were 94 and the name of appellant existed at page 43 as against page 30 mentioned in Panchnama dated 12.09.2008. Appellants have also raised the issue regarding discrepancies in the name of the panch witnesses. It is also contended that Revenue had not followed the procedure as stipulated in Section 36B of the Central Excise Act, 1944. In view of the above discrepancies the authenticity and veracity of data retrieved by investigation from the silver pen-drive is not reliable and can not be accepted as a piece of evidence in deciding the case of undervaluation and clandestine removal against the present appellants. Exact amount of such additional consideration was required to be determined for addition to the transaction value even if all the statements and documents were held to be admissible evidence and satisfied the test of Section 9D of the Central Excise Act, 1944 - valuation has been enhanced solely based on the assumption that after booking of the case these appellant enhanced their prices. In the case of transaction value realm the same product can be sold at different prices as per Section 4 of the Central Excise Act, 1944 unless actual additional consideration has been shown to have flown back to the appellants. In the absence of exact quantification of cash received by individual frit manufacturer, transaction value can not be enhanced even if there are half cooked circumstantial evidences to the proceedings indicating suspected undervaluation. It is now well understood that suspicion howsoever grave can not take the place of an evidence. Therefore, it may not be correct to hold that preponderance of probability should always be given to the Revenue, as Hon'ble Apex Court in a particular held it to be so. - Decided in favour of assessee.
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