Duplicate "C" Form Allowed

·         2015-VIL-77-MAD

·         M/s SREE KUMAR ENGINEERING WORKS Vs THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER (CT)

·         Central Sales Tax Act, 1957 – Loss of original 'C' Form by the department – Acceptance of the duplicate copy of 'C' Form – Insistence of Declaration by means of indemnity bond – HELD - From a reading of Rule 10(2) of the Central Sales Tax (Tamil Nadu) Rules, it is clear that the petitioner is entitled to file Form of Declaration / Certificate relating to the year at any time before the final assessment of the accounts of that year. In this case, the petitioner has filed 'C' Form in original before the authority of the respondent and an endorsement has also been made by the concerned officer. The contention of the respondent relying upon Rule 12(2), by requiring the petitioner to produce the indemnity bond, cannot be accepted, as the same would be applicable only in case the petitioner had lost the original 'C' Form. The respondent in this case shall accept the duplicate copy of the 'C' Form already filed before them by the petitioner. When the said document filed by the petitioner before the authority had been misplaced by the Department, insisting of Declaration by means of indemnity bond, is not correct and there is no duty cast upon the petitioner to file the indemnity bond, when the petitioner has not lost the original of the same and when the petitioner has also not requested by stating that they have misplaced the original document - When the authority has misplaced the original of the document for whatever be the reason, there is no hard and fast rule to deny the request of the petitioner for accepting the duplicate copy of the document, which is available with the petitioner - Impugned orders are set aside and the matters are remitted back