Case Law Details
Anandeshwar Traders Vs State of U.P. (Allahabad High Court)
The Rule does not prescribe that the dealer must necessarily cancel the e-way bill if no transportation of the goods is made within 24 hours of its generation. It certainly does not provide any consequence that may follow if such cancellation does not take place. On the contrary, the Rule permits a dealer to cancel the e-way bill only if the transportation does not take place and the dealer choses to cancel such e-way bill within 24 hours of its generation.
Even if the dealer does not cancel the e-way bill within 24 hours of its generation, it would remain a matter of inquiry to determine on evidence whether an actual transaction had taken place or not. That would be subject to evidence received by the authority. As such it was open to the seizing authority to make all fact inquiries and ascertain on that basis whether the goods had or had not been transported pursuant to the e-way bills generated on 24.11.2019. Since the petitioner-assessee had pleaded a negative fact, the initial onus was on the assessing authority to lead positive evidence to establish that the goods had been transported on an earlier occasion. Neither any inquiry appears to have been made at that stage from the purchasing dealer or any toll plaza or other source, nor the petitioner was confronted with any adverse material as may have shifted the onus on the assessee to establish non-transportation of goods on an earlier occasion.
The presumption could not be drawn on the basis of the existence of the e-way bills though there did not exist evidence of actual transaction performed and though there is no statutory presumption available. Also, there is no finding of the assessing authority to that effect only. Mere assertion made at the end of the seizure order that it was clearly established that the assessee had made double use of the e-way bills is merely a conclusion drawn bereft of material on record. It is the reason based on facts and evidence found by the assessing authority that has to be examined to test the correctness of the order and not the conclusions, recorded without any material on record.
Appeal authority had no jurisdiction to examine fresh evidence at the behest of the revenue
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