SRINAGAR, Aug 8 (Agencies): The Supreme Court has dismissed the plea of Government challenging the judgment passed by High Court directing Government not to demand further token tax from the outside sold vehicles.
The Apex Court dismissed the plea on latches as the judgment was passed way back in 2021 and Government of J&K approached the apex court on a belated stage with the application seeking condoning the delay in filing the Special Leave Petition before the highest court of the country.
“There is an inordinate delay in filing the Special Leave Petitions. The same are dismissed on the grounds of delay. Pending applications stand disposed of”, a bench of Justice Kishan Koul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia concluded.
Pertinently the High Court on November 9, 2021 while allowing the plea whereby the order of imposition of fresh token tax was directed to be levied from the vehicle owned from outside J&K.
The Division Bench of the High Court had directed the transport authorities not to ask for 9 percent token tax from the vehicles which are registered outside the J&K Union Territory.
The DB had recorded that there is no option but to ask the respondent-authorities to adhere to the directions in letter and spirit and there shall be no demand made of 9% token tax from the owners of the vehicles who have already paid the tax at the time of registration from outside the UT.
The direction had followed after the Senior Counsel Faisal Qadri informed the court that the respondents are demanding 9% token tax from the owners of the vehicles, those have applied for assignment of new registration mark in the UT of J&K even though their vehicles are duly registered outside J&K and have already paid life time tax on those vehicles against the judgment and order.