High Court Kerala High Court

Parco Diognostic & vs State Of Kerala on 3 December, 2010

Kerala High Court
Parco Diognostic & vs State Of Kerala on 3 December, 2010
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

WP(C).No. 33315 of 2007(N)


1. PARCO DIOGNOSTIC &
                      ...  Petitioner

                        Vs



1. STATE OF KERALA,
                       ...       Respondent

2. THE COMMISSIONER OF COMMERCIAL TAXES,

3. THE SALES TAX OFFICER,

                For Petitioner  :SRI.R.RAMADAS

                For Respondent  : No Appearance

The Hon'ble MR. Justice P.R.RAMACHANDRA MENON

 Dated :03/12/2010

 O R D E R
                    P.R. RAMACHANDRA MENON J.
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                       W.P (C) No. 33315 OF 2007
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               Dated, this the 3rd day of December, 2010

                                JUDGMENT

The grievance of the petitioner is with regard to the non-refunding of

the entry tax already satisfied by the petitioner and also as to the non-

release the ‘bank guarantee’ furnished, pursuant to the direction given by

this Court earlier.

2. The petitioner imported two ‘MRI scanning machines’ and a

‘Colour dopler’ from abroad, which were detained, demanding entry tax to

be satisfied by the petitioner. This made the petitioner to approach this

Court by filing three different writ petitions, because of the different cause

of action arose at different points of time. The above Writ Petitions, viz. W.

P. (C) No.s 10708/2004, 5171/ 2005 and 5918/2005, were admitted by this

Court and as per Ex. P1 to P3 interim orders, the petitioner was directed to

satisfy 25 % of the entry tax demanded and to furnish ‘bank guarantee’ for

the balance amount. Later, pursuant to the law declared by the division

bench of this Court in Thressiamma L Chirayil Vs. State of Kerala (ILR

2007 (1) Ker. 61), the writ petitions filed by the petitioner were allowed as

per Exs. P4 to P6 judgments and the petitioner was permitted to move the

W.P. (C) No. 33315 of 2007
2

competent authority for getting ‘refund’ of the amounts already deposited

and to have the bank guarantees released. Based on the above verdicts,

the petitioner filed Exts. P7 to P9 petitions before the 3rd respondent as

early as on 16.04.2007. But, since the 3rd respondent has chosen to keep

the same in the cold storage, the petitioner is stated as constrained to

approach this Court by filing the present writ petition.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that, in spite of the

direction given by this Court vide Ext. P4 to P6 judgments, enabling the

petitioner to file an application for the refund as well as for releasing sthe

bank guarantee, Exts. P7 to P9 applications preferred are not being acted

upon by the third respondent stating that no time limit has been fixed by

this Court and further that the State/Revenue has already approached the

Apex Court by filing an SLP against the verdict passed by the Division

Bench and that the same is pending.

4. The learned Government Pleader submits that the matters

pertaining to entry tax have been tagged on together, to be heard, by the

Apex Court.

5. In the above circumstance, the third respondent is directed to

consider and pass final orders on Exts. P7 to P9 petitions for refund, after

ascertaining whether any SLP has been preferred in respect of Ext. P4 to

P6 judgments and whether any interim order has been granted by the Apex

W.P. (C) No. 33315 of 2007
3

Court therein. The final orders as above shall be passed, as expeditiously

as possible, at any rate, within three months from the date of receipt of a

copy of this judgment

The Writ Petition is disposed of.

P. R. RAMACHANDRA MENON, JUDGE

kmd