Once GST Appeal Is Filed On Portal, No Mandatory Requirement To File Hard Copy Or Certified Copy Of Order: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court held that once a GST appeal is filed electronically within the statutory period along with the uploaded order, there is no requirement to file a hard copy or certified copy of the order. Justices Sindhu Sharma and Shahzad Azeem stated that the appeal was filed online within statutory period along with the copy of order and therefore, there was no requirement of filing the hard copy of the same. Therefore, its rejection on the ground of not...

Past Employment With Party Does Not Make Arbitrator Ineligible: J&K&L High Court Reaffirms

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Monday reiterated that an arbitrator does not become ineligible merely because he was employed by one of the parties in the past. The court held that past government service, by itself, does not indicate bias under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act unless it is shown that the arbitrator has a continuing business relationship or had advised a party in connection with the dispute. Justice Sanjay Dhar delivered the ruling on December 22, 2025,...

GST Demand Cannot Exceed Amount Mentioned In Show Cause Notice: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that a tax demand under GST cannot exceed the amount mentioned in the show cause notice and that doing so violates basic principles of fairness. The Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Sanjay Parihar set aside a GST demand raised against a goods transport agency (GTA), after finding that the final demand was much higher than what was proposed in the original notice. The Goods Transport Agency challenged a show...

'GST Is Fiscal Compliance, Not Regulatory Exemption': J&K High Court Says Brick Dealers Still Need Licence Under Brick Kiln Act

The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has upheld the validity of the Jammu and Kashmir Brick Kiln (Regulation) Act, 2010 and the 2017 Rules, ruling that the regulatory framework applies not only to manufacturers but also to brick dealers, rejecting challenges raised by multiple petitioners.The High Court rejected the plea that GST registration obviated the licensing requirement under the Brick Kiln Act, stating, “GST registration pertains to fiscal compliance… the Brick Kiln Act is a regulatory...

Payment Of Tax Cannot Legalise Unlicensed Activity, GST Registration Doesn't Confer Right To Conduct Business: J&K&L High Court

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has held that obtaining registration under the Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, does not amount to authorisation to conduct a trade or business, nor can payment of tax legitimise an otherwise unlicensed commercial activity.The High Court clarified that taxation statutes and regulatory licensing statutes operate in distinct spheres, and compliance with one cannot override mandatory licensing requirements under another.The Court was hearing a batch...

[S.6 CGST Act] J&K&L High Court Upholds GST Show Cause Notices Based On Intelligence Inputs

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that intelligence-based enforcement actions can be initiated by either the Central or the State tax authorities, irrespective of taxpayer assignment, and such actions do not require a separate notification for cross-empowerment.The court dismissed a batch of writ petitions filed by several companies challenging show cause notices issued under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (“CGST Act”) on the ground of lack of jurisdiction. A...

[CGST Act] Penalty Is An 'Additional Tax', Cannot Be Levied Under State Act Without 'Charging Provision': J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has ruled that the penalty under the Central Sales Tax Act cannot be imposed by invoking provisions of the State Act in the absence of an express charging section.The Court held that the Central Act is a “self-contained code” and provides its own framework for imposition of penalties, which cannot be supplemented by state laws.A bench headed by Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Justice Sanjay Parihar dismissed the petition challenging the absence of a penalty...

SARFAESI Act | Fresh Notice To Legal Heirs Of Borrower Not Necessary To Take Possession Under S.14: J&K High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has held that a secured creditor is not required to issue a fresh notice to the legal heirs of a deceased borrower before invoking Section 14 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002.A Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Sanjay Parihar dismissed a writ petition challenging the proceedings initiated by the bank under Section 14, observing that once notice under Section...

GST Payable On Rent For Hotels Hired By Govt For Security Forces, Liability Of Home Dept To Reimburse: J&K High Court

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has held that the Department of Home is liable to reimburse GST in addition to the fixed rent to hotel owners whose accommodations have been requisitioned for housing security forces.The petitioner had filed the petition seeking a direction that the tax amount be paid or reimbursed separately by the Home Department over and above the fixed rent. A bench of Justices Sanjay Parihar and Sanjeev Kumar observed that while the rental rates were fixed much earlier, the...

J&K High Court Upholds Arbitral Award Of ₹1.37 Crore To Entrepreneur Whose Gulmarg Hotel's Lease Was Illegally Terminated By Govt

The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has upheld Rs. 1.37 crore in compensation to a woman entrepreneur whose hotel lease was wrongfully cancelled, stating that illegal termination of lease resulted in losses to the extent of Rs.1,37,57,009/.A bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar held that the Arbitral tribunal was justified in awarding the amount towards the financial loss suffered by the claimant, stemming from the unlawful termination of the lease, which had rendered her unable to operationalise a...

J&K High Court Resolves Arbitrator Fee Stalemate, Directs Centre To Deposit Fee As Per 4th Schedule Arbitration Act

In an order addressing the long-pending stalemate in an arbitration matter, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the Union of India to deposit the arbitrator's fee as per the Fourth Schedule of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, enabling the pronouncement of the arbitral award.The issue before the court was whether a government-prescribed internal fee structure for empanelled arbitrators could override the statutory fee scale in the Fourth Schedule of the 1996 Act.The Court...

Court While Referring Parties To Arbitration Cannot Direct That Arbitral Award Should Be Filed Before It: Jammu & Kashmir High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar has held that the court, while referring parties to arbitration under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (Arbitration Act), cannot direct that the award, passed after the conclusion of the arbitration proceedings, be filed before it. Brief Facts: The defendant had approached the plaintiff for the supply of fruit boxes for resale. It was agreed that the defendant would sell the fruit at...