Home Case Index All Cases Central Excise Central Excise + HC Central Excise - 2022 (11) TMI HC This
Forgot password New User/ Regiser ⇒ Register to get Live Demo
2022 (11) TMI 795 - MADRAS HIGH COURTRestoration of appeal - non-compliance of the pre-deposit of duty within the period stipulated by the Tribunal - HELD THAT:- There is no dispute with regard to the facts of this case and hence, it will be more appropriate to directly go into the issue that is involved in these appeals. The appeals filed by the appellant against the order passed by the Commissioner of Central Excise (Appeals) Madurai, before the Tribunal was accompanied by an application seeking for dispensing with the predeposit of the duty amount - Admittedly, the condition imposed by the Tribunal was not complied with and hence, a final order was passed by the Tribunal on 09.08.2007 dismissing the appeals. The Tribunal is a creature of the Statute. Hence, the Tribunal can act only in exercise of such power and jurisdiction as is conferred under the Central Excise Act. On carefully going through the Act and Rules, there are no specific power conferred on the Tribunal to restore the appeals which has been dismissed finally. The Tribunal became Functus officio once a final order has passed and there is no scope for restoring an appeal thereafter - there are no justification for the appellant to file a petition for restoration of appeals after the exorbitant delay of nearly 7 years. The amount that was directed to be deposited was not exorbitant and the total amount that is involved in all the three appeals put together did not even exceed Rs.7 lakhs. Hence, seeking for restoration of appeals after 7 years without any justification, only calls for a dismissal. Appeal dismissed.
|