APHC010254732026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3529] WEDNESDAY, THE SIXTH DAY OF MAY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE R RAGHUNANDAN RAO THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE T.C.D.SEKHAR WRIT PETITION NO: 13354/2026 Between: 1. M/S SSC ELECTRICAL AND INFRA, HAVING ITS REGISTERED OFFICE AT 502, 5TH, AN ENCLAVE, GANDHINAGAR, VUDA PHASE -02, VISAKHAPATNAM, ANDHRA PRADESH - 530026. REPRESENTED BY ITS PARTNER - SRI BAGGAM CHAITANYA KUMAR, AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS, S/O SRI. BAGGAM KRISHNA MURTHY. GSTIN 37ADYFS4603C1ZU ...PETITIONER AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REPRESENTED BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, REVENUE (CT-II) DEPARTMENT, A.P. SECRETARIAT BUILDINGS, VELAGAPUDI-522238, AMARAVATI, GUNTUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH. 2. THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF STATE TAX, GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH, 'VIJAYA ELITE', SERVICE ROAD ADJ. TO NH16, KUNCHANAPALLI-522501, GUNTUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH. 3. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER ST, AIRPORT CIRCLE, VISAKHAPATNAM-II DIVISION, 5TH FLOOR, VMRDA BHAVAN, GANDHI PLACE, SIRIPURAM, VISAKHAPATNAM-5300 02, ANDHRA PRADESH. 4. THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONERII ST, PARVATHIPURAM 2 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 CIRCLE, VIZIANAGARAM DIVISION, PARVATHIPURAM-535501, MANYAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH. ...RESPONDENT(S): Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased topleased to (a)' Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction calling for the records pertaining to the impugned Order in Form GST DRC-07 bearing Reference No. ZD3708230013910 dated 02-08-2023 (Annexure P1) passed by the 3rd Respondent, and the consequential impugned Notice of attachment S and sale in Form GST DRC- 16 bearing Reference No. DIN37181024318 94 dated 18-10-2024 and subsequently two more Form GST DRC-16 dated 11.03.2026 and 31.03.2026 (Annexure P2) issued by the 4th Respondent, and to quash the same as being illegal, arbitrary, and violative of the principles of natural justice (b) Issue an order, or direction, directing the Respondents, their agents, servants, or anyone acting on their behalf, not to take any coercive steps or recovery proceedings against the Petitioner pursuant to the impugned order and notice IA NO: 1 OF 2026 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased pleased to interim stay of all further proceedings, including recovery and auction, pursuant to the impugned Order in Form GST DRC-07 bearing Reference No. ZD3708230013910 dated 02- 08-2023 (Annexure P1) and the impugned Notice in Form GST DRC-16 bearing Reference No. DIN3718102431894 dated 18-10-2024 and subsequently two more Form GST DRC-16 dated 11.03.2026 and 31.03.2026 (Annexure P2); and pass Counsel for the Petitioner: 1. C SANJEEVA RAO Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1. GP FOR COMMERCIAL TAX 3 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 The Court made the following Order: (per Hon’ble Sri Justice R. Raghunandan Rao) Heard Sri C. Sanjeeva Rao, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Commercial Taxes, appearing for the respondents. 2. The petitioner herein has approached this Court, challenging an order of assessment, passed by the 3rd respondent, on 02.08.2023, on the ground that, the said order does not contain a Document Identification Number (DIN) and the same is vitiated by the lack of such numbers. 3. This Court had considered this issue earlier in the case of M/s. Cluster Enterprises Vs. The Deputy Assistant Commissioner (ST)-2, Kadapa1 and in the case of Sai Manikanta Electrical Contractors Vs. The Deputy Commissioner, Special Circle, Visakhapatnam2 and had held that, the absence of a DIN number would be sufficient to invalidate the said order. 4. However, the learned Government Pleader for Commercial Taxes, appearing for the respondents, would contend that the order, under challenge, has been passed, on 02.08.2023, and the petitioner has approached this Court with inordinate delay and such delay has not been properly explained. 5. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the copy of the said order had not been served on the petitioner, in the conventional 1 2024 (88) G.S.T.L. 179 (A.P.) 2 2024 (88) G.S.T.L. 303 (A.P.) 4 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 method and the respondents are claiming that the order is served on the petitioner by uploading the same in the portal. 6. The learned Government Pleader, on the other hand, would contend that Section 169 (1) (d) of the GST Act, 2017, prescribes the uploading of the order, in the portal, as a method of service on the registered persons and in that view of the matter, it must be held that service has been effected on the petitioner. 7. The Hon’ble High Court of Allahabad in M/s. Bambino Agro Industries Ltd. vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and Another, in Writ Tax No.2707 of 2025, had held that uploading the order in the portal, mentioned by the GST Authorities, would not be sufficient service of the order on the registered person. This Court has taken a contrary view in W.P.No.5397 of 2026. 8. However, the fact remains that a very large number of registered persons have approached this Court with the contention that they were unable to access the portal either on account of their ignorance or on account of the fact that the persons, authorized by them, who act on their behalf, are not informing them of such orders. In the normal course, this Court would not accept such a contention as neither ignorance of law nor the inability to access the portal, could have been accepted is a sufficient cause for condoning the delay in approaching this Court. 5 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 9. This Court is also not unaware of the practical difficulties that have arisen on account of the introduction of the GST regime and the introduction of the online mechanism, under this regime, for the administration of tax collection, etc. 10. Keeping in view the hardships that are being faced by various registered persons, especially in cases where the orders suffer from patent irregularities, the impugned orders of assessment would have to be set aside. 11. In the circumstances, with a view to balance both the difficulties being faced by the registered persons and the need for the State to maintain its administration of tax collection, it would be appropriate that writ petitions, filed by such registered persons, with delay, can be considered, subject to the registered persons depositing 20% of the disputed tax, under the impugned order. We are also fortified, in this course of action, in view of the Judgment of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras in W.P.No.1474 of 2026. 12. In these circumstances, keeping in view the fact that the present order, under challenge, suffers from an inherent defect of absence of a DIN number, the same is set aside and the assessment is remanded back to the Assessing Officer to pass appropriate orders, after giving due opportunity of hearing, available to the petitioner, under the provisions of the GST Act. This order is subject to the condition of the petitioner depositing 20% of the disputed tax within a period of six (06) weeks from the date of receipt of this order. Such payment shall abide by the result of the assessment order that 6 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 would be passed in this case. If any payment made or any amount recovered from the petitioner, after the order of assessment has been passed, shall be adjusted against the aforesaid 20% deposit that needs to be made by the petitioner. 13. Needless to say, the period from the date of filling of this Writ Petition till the date of receipt of this order by the Assessing Officer, shall be excluded for the purposes of limitation and all issues are left open to be raised by the petitioner before the Assessing Officer. 14. Accordingly, this Writ Petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel, pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand closed. ________________________ R. RAGHUNANDAN RAO, J ________________ T.C.D. SEKHAR, J Date:06.05.2026 KPV 7 RRR,J & TCDS,J W.P.No.13354 of 2026 92 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE R RAGHUNANDAN RAO AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE T.C.D.SEKHAR WRIT PETITION No: 13354 of 2026 (per Hon’ble Sri Justice R. Raghunandan Rao) 06.05.2026 KPV