Case Law Details
Crown Express Dental Lab Vs Theco India Private Limited (National Anti-Profiteering Authority)
Respondent has charged more than the actual base price and hence there is no doubt in our minds that the Respondent has profiteered at the expense of the Applicant No. 1 in respect of the subject supplies made by him and has thus violated the provisions of Section 171 of the Act ibid and has therefore rendered himself liable to penal action in line with the provisions of Section 122 of the CGST Act, 2017 apart from his liability to refund the above profiteered amount along with the applicable interest in terms of the provisions of the CGST Rules. 2017.
Accordingly, the Respondent is directed to reduce the sale price of the above items immediately commensurate to the reduction in the price due to ITC of erstwhile chargeable CVD which is now available in the form of IGST and pass on this benefit to his customers. He is also directed to refund an amount of Rs. 4,78,085/- along with interest @ 18% to the Applicant No. 1 from the date when this amount was realised by him till the date of refund. The above amount shall be refunded within a period of 3 months by the Respondent from the date of receipt of this order failing which the same shall be recovered by the DGAP as per the provisions of the CGST Act, 2017 and shall be refunded as has been directed vide this order.
We have also carefully considered the issue of imposition of penalty on the Respondent as the allegation of profiteering has been duly established against him. It is clear from the facts of the present case that the Respondent was fully aware of the GST provisions and availability of ITC on account of IGST charged on import of goods. He was also fully aware of the provisions of Section 171 of the above Act whereby he was bound to pass on the benefit arising due to ITC availability on import of the above product. However, the Respondent has deliberately acted in defiance of the above law and hence he is guilty of the conduct which is contumacious and dishonest. He has further acted in conscious disregard of the obligation which was cast upon him by the law, by issuing incorrect invoice in which the base price was deliberately not reduced by the amount of CVD, SAD and CST chargeable under erstwhile scenario which is now chargeable as IGST in the GST regime and is available as ITC benefit and thus he had denied the benefit of reduction in the price granted vide IGST provisions to his customers. Accordingly he has committed an offence under Section 122 (1) (i) of the CGST Act, 2017.
FULL TEXT OF ORDER OF NATIONAL ANTI-PROFITEERING AUTHORITY
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