Commissioner Of Entertainment Tax vs. Siti Cable Networks Ltd.

| ITEM NO.11 COURT NO.2 SECTION III S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C)......CC No(s). 9939/2015 (Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 22/05/2015 in WPC No. 475/2014 passed by the High Court Of Delhi At New Delhi) DY. COMMISSIONER OF TAX AND ORS. Petitioner(s) VERSUS M/S. INDUSIND MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LTD. Respondent(s) WITH S.L.P.(C)...CC No. 9940/2015 (With appln.(s) for exemption from filing c/copy as well as plain copy of the impugned order and appln.(s) for permission to file SLP without c/copy as well as plain copy of impugned order and Interim Relief and Office Report) Date : 29/05/2015 This petition was called on for hearing today. CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.K. SIKRI HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE UDAY UMESH LALIT (Vacation Bench) For Petitioner(s) Mr. Parag P.Tripathi,Sr.Adv. Mr. Mohit Paul,Adv. Mr. Anish Chawla,Adv. Mr. Kunal Bahri,adv. For Respondent(s) UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following O R D E R Permission to file SLP is granted. Various writ petitions are pending before the High Court wherein validity of the entertainment tax levied on those petitioners Signature Not Verified is the subject matter of challenge. It Digitally signed by Suman Wadhwa Date: 2015.05.29 16:51:48 IST Reason: also appears from the record that these petitions are being heard finally and substantial arguments have been advanced -2 by the counsel for the parties before the Bench which is in seisin of these matters. The High Court has also granted interim stay orders in favour of the writ petitioners. The petitioner/Tax Department has filed the application for vacation of those orders in which notices have been issued

but those applications have not been decided presumably because of the reason that main matter itself is taken up for final hearing.

The matter was lastly listed on 22.5.2015 and on that day it was simply adjourned to 31st July, 2015 at 2.15 p.m. for further arguments. Concern of the petitioner is that total amount which is allegedly due and to be recovered from the petitioners is about Rs. 250 crores.

We can see the anxiety of the Department. The manner in which the matters are proceeded and hearings have taken place in the High Court also shows that the High Court itself is conscious about the urgency and intends to conclude the hearing and decide the matter finally as early as possible.

The matter now stands adjourned to 31st July, 2015 which happens to be a Friday and would be taken up only in the afternoon session, presumably for the reason that the composition of the Bench which is hearing the matter, may not remain the same as regular Bench, after summer vacations. -3-

In these circumstances, we would request the High Court to devote entire afternoon session on 31st July, 2015 and every Friday thereafter in the same manner till the conclusion of the arguments.

With this observation the SLPs are disposed of.

AR-cum-PS COURT MASTER

(SUMAN WADHWA) (SUMAN JAIN)