A fresh hearing was granted due to medical issues and an obscure portal notice.

By | October 1, 2025
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A fresh hearing was granted due to medical issues and an obscure portal notice.

Issue

Should an ex-parte order passed by the GST authorities be set aside and a fresh hearing granted if the taxpayer failed to respond to the show-cause notice due to a combination of the notice being uploaded to an obscure portal tab and the proprietor’s serious medical issues?

Facts

  • The assessee filed a writ petition challenging an adverse order that was passed against them under Section 73 of the CGST Act.
  • The assessee explained that they had completely missed the opportunity to reply to the initial show-cause notice (SCN) for two compelling reasons:
    1. The SCN was first uploaded by the department to the “Additional Notices Tab” on the GST portal, a location that is not always checked, so it did not come to their immediate attention.
    2. During the relevant period, the proprietor of the firm was suffering from serious medical issues and was hospitalized multiple times, which, due to the related stress, caused them to miss the opportunity to file a reply even after the notice may have become visible.
  • As a result of this non-response, the department passed the final order without hearing the assessee.
  • The writ petition also included a challenge to the validity of certain government notifications, an issue that was already pending before the Supreme Court.

Decision

The High Court ruled in favour of the assessee and remanded the matter for a fresh hearing.

  • The court accepted the assessee’s explanation and agreed that they did not get a proper opportunity to be heard.
  • It set aside the impugned order and gave the assessee a new timeline to file a detailed reply to the original SCN.
  • To ensure the assessee does not miss the next opportunity, the court gave a specific direction that the fresh notice for a personal hearing must be communicated not just on the portal, but also directly to the assessee’s registered mobile number and e-mail address.
  • Regarding the challenge to the notifications, the court left the issue open, stating that any final order passed by the authority on remand would be subject to the final outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court.

Key Takeways

  • Natural Justice is the Priority: Courts will almost always intervene to protect a taxpayer’s right to be heard, especially when the failure to respond is supported by genuine and compelling reasons like serious medical issues.
  • Portal Usability is a Factor: The court’s decision acknowledges the practical issues with the GST portal. A notice being uploaded to a less-visible or ancillary tab is a valid point of grievance that can support a claim of not being properly served.
  • Ensuring Effective Communication: The court’s direction to send the new hearing notice via mobile and email is a significant step. It shows that courts expect the tax authorities to use multiple channels to ensure that important communications actually reach the taxpayer, rather than just fulfilling a technical requirement of uploading to the portal.
  • Handling Sub-Judice Constitutional Issues: When a core legal issue, such as the validity of a notification, is already pending before the Supreme Court, the standard practice for a High Court is to allow the factual adjudication of the case to proceed but to make the final order’s validity conditional upon the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling.
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Ruchika Industries
v.
Union of India
PRATHIBA M. SINGH and SHAIL JAIN, JJ.
W.P. (C) No. 13507 of 2025
CM APPL. Nos. 55441 and 55442 of 2025
SEPTEMBER  9, 2025
Gaurav Gupta, Adv. for the Petitioner. Sumit K. Batra, Adv. for the Respondent.
ORDER
Prathiba M. Singh, J.- This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.
CM APPL.55442/2025 (for exemption)
2. Allowed, subject to all just exceptions. Application is disposed of.
W.P.(C) 13507/2025, CM APPL. 55441/2025 (for stay)
3. The Petitioner- Ruchika Industries through its proprietor Mr. Rakesh Kumar Dhingra, has filed the present petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, inter alia, seeking quashing of the impugned order dated 24th August, 2024 passed by the Sales Tax Officer Class II/Avato Ward 55, Zone-3, Delhi (hereinafter ‘impugned order’). The present petition also challenges the impugned Show Cause Notice dated 29th May, 2024 passed by the Sales Tax Officer Class II/Avato Ward 55, Zone-3, Delhi (hereinafter ‘SCN’).
4. Additionally, the present petition also challenges Notification No. 56/2023- Central Tax dated 28th December, 2023 and Notification No. 56/2023-State Tax dated 11th July, 2024 (hereinafter, ‘the impugned Notification’).
5. The present petition is similar to a batch of petitions wherein inter alia, the impugned notifications were challenged. DJST Traders Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India 191 (Delhi)/W.P.(C) No. 16499/2023 was the lead matter in the said batch of petitions. On 22nd April, 2025, the parties were heard at length qua the validity of the impugned notifications and accordingly, the following order was passed:
“4. Submissions have been heard in part. The broad challenge to both sets of Notifications is on the ground that the proper procedure was not followed prior to the issuance of the same. In terms of Section 168A, prior recommendation of the GST Council is essential for extending deadlines. In respect of Notification no.9, the recommendation was made prior to the issuance of the same. However, insofar as Notification No. 56/2023 (Central Tax) the challenge is that the extension was granted contrary to the mandate under Section 168A of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and ratification was given subsequent to the issuance of the notification. The notification incorrectly states that it was on the recommendation of the GST Council. Insofar as the Notification No. 56 of 2023 (State Tax) is concerned, the challenge is to the effect that the same was issued on 11th July, 2024 after the expiry of the limitation in terms of the Notification No.13 of 2022 (State Tax).
5. In fact, Notification Nos. 09 and 56 of 2023 (Central Tax) were challenged before various other High Courts. The Allahabad Court has upheld the validity of Notification no.9. The Patna High Court has upheld the validity of Notification no.56. Whereas, the Guwahati High Court has quashed Notification No. 56 of 2023 (Central Tax).
6. The Telangana High Court while not delving into the vires of the assailed notifications, made certain observations in respect of invalidity of Notification No. 56 of 2023 (Central Tax). This judgment of the Telangana High Court is now presently under consideration by the Supreme Court in HCC-SEW-MEIL-AAG JV v. Asstt. Commissioner of State Tax  1080 (SC)/S.L.P No 4240/2025 titled M/s HCC-SEW-MEIL-AAG JV v. Assistant Commissioner of State Tax &Ors. The Supreme Court vide order dated 21st February, 2025, passed the following order in the said case:
“1. The subject matter of challenge before the High Court was to the legality, validity and propriety of the Notification No.13/2022 dated 5-7-2022 & Notification Nos.9 and 56 of 2023 dated 31-3-2023 & 8-12-2023 respectively.
2.However, in the present petition, we are concerned with Notification Nos.9 & 56/2023 dated 31-3-2023 respectively.
3.These Notifications have been issued in the purported exercise of power under Section 168 (A) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act. 2017 (for short, the “GST Act”).
4.We have heard Dr. S. Muralidhar, the learned Senior counsel appearing for the petitioner.
5.The issue that falls for the consideration of this Court is whether the time limit for adjudication of show cause notice and passing order under Section 73 of the GST Act and SGST Act (Telangana GST Act) for financial year 2019-2020 could have been extended by issuing the Notifications in question under Section 168-A of the GST Act.
6.There are many other issues also arising for consideration in this matter.
7.Dr. Muralidhar pointed out that there is a cleavage of opinion amongst different High Courts of the country. 8. Issue notice on the SLP as also on the prayer for interim relief, returnable on 7-32025.”
7. In the meantime, the challenges were also pending before the Bombay High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In the Punjab and Haryana High Court vide order dated 12th March, 2025, all the writ petitions have been disposed of in terms of the interim orders passed therein. The operative portion of the said order reads as under:

“65. Almost all the issues, which have been raised before us in these present connected cases and have been noticed hereinabove, are the subject matter of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the aforesaid SLP.

66. Keeping in view the judicial discipline, we refrain from giving our opinion with respect to the vires of Section 168-A of the Act as well as the notifications issued in purported exercise of power under Section 168-A of the Act which have been challenged, and we direct that all these present connected cases shall be governed by the judgment passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the decision thereto shall be binding on these cases too.

67. Since the matter is pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the interim order passed in the present cases, would continue to operate and would be governed by the final adjudication by the Supreme Court on the issues in the aforesaid SLP-4240-2025.

68. In view of the aforesaid, all these connected cases are disposed of accordingly along with pending applications, if any.”

8. The Court has heard Id. Counsels for the parties for a substantial period today. A perusal of the above would show that various High Courts have taken a view and the matter is squarely now pending before the Supreme Court.
9. Apart from the challenge to the notifications itself, various counsels submit that even if the same are upheld, they would still pray for relief for the parties as the Petitioners have been unable to file replies due to several reasons and were unable to avail of personal hearings in most cases. In effect therefore in most cases the adjudication orders are passed ex-parte. Huge demands have been raised and even penalties have been imposed.
10. Broadly, there are six categories of cases which are pending before this Court. While the issue concerning the validity of the impugned notifications is presently under consideration before the Supreme Court, this Court is of the prima facie view that, depending upon the categories of petitions, orders can be passed affording an opportunity to the Petitioners to place their stand before the adjudicating authority. In some cases, proceedings including appellate remedies may be permitted to be pursued by the Petitioners, without delving into the question of the validity of the said notifications at this stage.
11. The said categories and proposed reliefs have been broadly put to the parties today. They may seek instructions and revert by tomorrow i.e., 23rd April, 2025. “
6. The abovementioned writ petition and various other writ petitions have been disposed of by this Court on subsequent dates, either remanding the matters of relegating the parties to avail of their appellate remedies, depending upon the fact situation. All such orders are subject to further orders of the Supreme Court.
7. As observed by this Court in the order dated 22nd April, 2025 as well, since the challenge to the above mentioned notifications is presently under consideration before the Supreme Court in HCC-SEW-MEIL-AAG JV v. Asstt. Commissioner of State Tax 1080 (SC)/S.L.P No 4240/2025, the challenge made by the Petitioner to the impugned notification in the present proceedings shall also be subject to the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court.
8. However, in cases where the challenge is to the parallel State Notifications, the same have been retained for consideration by this Court. The lead matter in the said batch is Engineers India Limited v. Union of India [W.P. (C) No. 9214 of 2024, dated 23-4-2025]/W.P.(C) 9214/2024.
9. On facts, however, the submission of the Petitioner is that no reply has been filed by the Petitioner to the SCN. Mr. Gaurav Gupta, ld. Counsel for the Petitioner, submits that the proprietor of the Petitioner firm, namely Mr. Rakesh Kumar Dhingra, was suffering from various medical issues, for which he was hospitalized multiple times during the year 2023 and 2024. Ld. Counsel relies upon the medical documents issued by Medanta Hospital in the relevant period to submit the same. He further submits that the Petitioner could not take note of the SCN, which was initially uploaded on the ‘Additional Notices Tab’. It is submitted that though the same was made visible afterwards, due to the stress related to the medical issues, the Petitioner could not avail of the opportunity to file a reply to the SCN. Thereafter, though a reminder notice dated 15th July 2024 was also issued, the reply to the same has also not been filed by the Petitioner. Thus, the impugned order has been passed without hearing the Petitioner.
10. Ld. Counsel for the Respondent, on the other hand, submits that the Petitioner has been filing regular returns through this period and, hence, missing of the SCN would not be justified.
11. The Court has heard the parties. In fact, this Court in Sugandha Enterprises through its Proprietor Devender Kumar Singh (supra), under similar circumstances where no reply was filed to the SCN had remanded the
“6. On facts, however, the submission of the Petitioner in the present petition is that the Petitioner was not afforded with an opportunity to file a reply to the SCN dated 23rd May, 2024 and the impugned order was passed without affording the Petitioner with an opportunity to be heard. Hence, the impugned order is a non-speaking order and is liable to be set aside on the said ground.
7. Heard. The Court has considered the submissions made. The Court has perused the records. In this petition, as mentioned above, no reply to the SCN has been filed by the Petitioner. Relevant portion of the impugned order reads as under:

And whereas, the taxpayer had neither deposited the proposed demand nor filed their objections/ reply in DRC-06 within the stipulated period of time, therefore, following the Principle of Natural Justice, the taxpayer was granted opportunities of personal hearing for submission of their reply/objections against the proposed demand before passing any adverse order.

And whereas, neither the taxpayer filed objections/reply in DRC 06 nor appeared for personal hearing despite giving sufficient opportunities, therefore, the undersigned is left with no other option but to upheld the demand raised in SCN/DRC 01. DRC 07 is issued accordingly.

8. This Court is of the opinion that since the Petitioner has not been afforded an opportunity to be heard and the said SCN and the consequent impugned order have been passed without hearing the Petitioner, an opportunity ought to be afforded to the Petitioner to contest the matter on merits.
9. Accordingly, the impugned order is set aside. The Petitioner is granted 30 days’ time to file the reply to SCN. Upon filing of the reply, the Adjudicating Authority shall issue to the Petitioner, a notice for personal hearing. The personal hearing notice shall be communicated to the Petitioner on the following mobile no. and e-mail address:.”
12. Under such circumstances, considering the fact that the Petitioner did not get a proper opportunity to be heard and no reply to the SCN has been filed by the Petitioner, the matter deserves to be remanded back to the concerned Adjudicating Authority.
13. Additionally, this is a petition where the impugned notifications have been challenged. This, coupled with the fact that the Petitioner’s medical documents do show that he was suffering from serious medical issues in 2024, when the SCN was issued, the Court is inclined to give an opportunity to the Petitioner to file a reply to the SCN.
14. Accordingly, the impugned order is set aside. The Petitioner is granted time till 31st October, 2025, to file the reply to SCN. Upon filing of the reply, the Adjudicating Authority shall issue to the Petitioner, a notice for personal hearing. The personal hearing notice shall be communicated to the Petitioner on the following mobile no. and e-mail address:
Email ID: jhanjeeca@yahoo. co. in
Mobile: 9811173535
15. The reply filed by the Petitioner to the SCN along with the submissions made in the personal hearing proceedings, shall be duly considered by the Adjudicating Authority, and a reasoned order with respect to the SCN shall be passed in accordance with law.
16. However, it is made clear that the issue in respect of the validity of the impugned notifications is left open. Any order passed by the Adjudicating Authority shall be subject to the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court in HCC-SEW-MEIL-AAG JV (supra) and this Court in Engineers India Limited (supra).
17. All rights and remedies of the parties are left open. Access to the GST Portal, shall be provided within one week to the Petitioner to enable uploading of the reply as also access to the notices and related documents.
18. The petition is disposed of in these terms. All pending applications, if any, are also disposed of.