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1991 (11) TMI 57 - HC - Central ExciseIssues: Assessment of excise duty on photo-copying machines under Tariff Item 33D of the Central Excise Tariff based on the inclusion of the value of timer and lens components. The High Court of Judicature at Bombay heard a case involving a Public Limited Company manufacturing photo-copying machines. The company claimed that the timer and lens components purchased from the market should not be considered in the assessment of excise duty for the photo-copying machines under Tariff Item 33D. The Assistant Collector of Central Excise, Bombay, the Appellate Collector of Customs and Central Excise, and the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, upheld the inclusion of these components in the assessment. The company challenged these decisions under Article 227 of the Constitution of India. The Court noted that the timer and lens components are integral to the camera, which is a main component of the photo-copying machine. The assembly process of the document copier machine clearly showed that the camera, including the timer and lens, is essential for the functioning of the machine. The Court held that even though the timer and lens were purchased from the market, their value must be included in the assessable value of the machine as they are assembled during manufacturing, constituting a part of the manufacturing process. The petitioner's counsel referred to a decision by CEGAT regarding the inclusion of essential parts in the assessable value, but the Court found that the decision did not set a precedent against including the value of essential parts. The Court disagreed with the petitioner's argument that the value of the timer and lens should not be included in the assessable value, affirming the decisions of the lower authorities. In conclusion, the Court dismissed the petition, ruling that the value of the timer and lens components purchased from the market must be included in the assessable value of the photo-copying machines under Tariff Item 33D. The petitioner's claim was rejected, and costs were awarded against them.
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