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2021 (8) TMI 552

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..... the date of receipt of a copy of this order - Petition disposed off. In the present case, the petitioners have stated that there are certain violations and factual aspects either not considered or mistakenly considered. However, all these aspects could be adjudicated before the appellate authority - The importance of appellate remedy and its relevance are elaborately adjudicated by this Court in a batch of writ petitions in M/s.Sri Sathya Jewellery, Vs. The Principal Commissioner of Customs [ 2021 (4) TMI 1210 - MADRAS HIGH COURT ] where it was held that This Court has no hesitation in arriving at a conclusion that the petitioners are bound to exhaust the appellate remedy, either under Section 128 or Section 129 of the Customs Act, respectively. The petitioners are granted liberty to approach the appellate authority and file an appeal by following the procedures as contemplated and by complying with the conditions to prefer the appeal, within a period of 60 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order - Petition disposed off. - WP No.32280 of 2016 And WMP No.28001 of 2016 - - - Dated:- 9-8-2021 - Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.M.Subramaniam For the Petition .....

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..... , in respect of the writ petitions on hand, the original assessment order has been passed either by the Joint Commissioner or by the Commissioner of Customs. Against such original orders passed by the original authorities under the provisions of the Customs Act, an appeal is contemplated under Sections 128 and 129 of the Customs Act, respectively. Without exhausting the appellate remedy, the writ petitioners have filed these writ petitions, and therefore, the writ petitions are liable to be dismissed. 8.With reference to the appellate remedy, the Hon'ble Division Bench of this Court in W.A.No.640 of 2021 [M/s.Fourceess Diamond Pvt. Ltd. and another v. The Joint Commissioner of Customs (Air Cargo), Meenambakkam, Chennai] delivered a judgment on 25.02.2021 and the relevant paragraphs are extracted hereunder : 8. After elaborately hearing the learned counsel for the appellants and the learned Senior Standing Counsel appearing for the respondent, we are of the view that the issues raised in the writ petition are not purely questions of law, but mixed questions of fact, which would require a process of adjudication. Such matters cannot be decided by a Writ Court based .....

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..... with reference to documents and evidences. Trial is not entertainable under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. All such procedural aspects are to be followed by complete adjudication/trial by the original authorities as well as by the appellate authorities under the provisions of the Statute and the powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is limited to find out whether the processes contemplated under the Statutes and the procedural aspects are followed by the competent authorities as well as the appellate authorities or not. The High Court, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is not expected to usurp the powers of the appellate authorities by adjudicating the merits of the matter on certain documents and evidences. In the event of adjudication of merits under Article 226 of the Constitution of India in the absence of complete trial with reference to the documents and evidences, there is a possibility of miscarriage of justice, and therefore, the High Court is expected to be cautious, while entering into the venture of adjudication of certain merits with reference to the original documents and evidences produced by the respective parties to the lis .....

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..... er known to law. In the event of entertaining all such writ petitions, the High Court will not only be over-burdened, but usurping the powers of the appellate authority is certainly not desirable. 16.... 17.... 18.Large number of writ petitions are filed without exhausting the statutory appeal remedies and High Court is also entertaining such writ petitions in a routine manner. Keeping such writ petitions pending for long time would cause prejudice to the interest of the assessee also. Thus, such statutory provisions regarding the appeal are to be decided at the first instance, enabling the litigants to avail the remedy by following the procedures as contemplated under law. Such writ petitions are filed may be on the ground of jurisdiction or otherwise. However, the Courts are expected to ensure that all such legal grounds available to the parties are adjudicated before the proper Forum and only after exhausting the statutory remedies, writ petitions are to be entertained. In the absence of exhausting such remedies, High Court is loosing the benefit of deciding the matter on merits as the High Court cannot conduct a trial or examine the original records in the writ proceed .....

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