Central Excise Act, 1944

32F. PROCEDURE ON RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION UNDER SECTION 32E. –

(1) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1) of section 32E, the Settlement Commission shall call for a report from the Commissioner of Central Excise having jurisdiction and on the basis of the materials contained in such report and having regard to the nature and circumstances of the case or the complexity of the investigation involved therein, the Settlement Commission may, by order, allow the application to be proceeded with or reject the application :

Provided that an application shall not be rejected under this sub-section, unless an opportunity has been given to the applicant of being heard :

Provided further that the Commissioner of Central Excise shall furnish such report within a period of one month of the receipt of the communication from the Settlement Commission, failing which it shall be presumed that the Commissioner of Central Excise has no objection to such application; but he may raise objections at the time of hearing fixed by the Settlement Commission for admission of the application and the date of such hearing shall be communicated by the Settlement Commission to the applicant and the Commissioner of Central Excise within a period not exceeding two months from the date of receipt of such application, unless the presiding officer of the Bench extends the time, recording the reasons in writing.

(2) A copy of every order under sub-section (1) shall be sent to the applicant and to the Commissioner of Central Excise having jurisdiction.

(3) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (4), the applicant shall within thirty days of the receipt of a copy of the order under sub-section (1) allowing the application to be proceeded with, pay the amount of additional duty admitted by him as payable and shall furnish proof of such payment to the Settlement Commission.

(4) If the Settlement Commission is satisfied, on an application made in this behalf by the assessee that he is unable for good and sufficient reasons to pay the amount referred to in sub-section (3), within the time specified in that sub-section, it may extend the time for payment of the amount which remains unpaid or allow payment thereof by installments, if the assessee furnishes adequate security for the payment thereof.

(5) Where the additional amount of duty referred to in sub-section (3) is not paid by the assessee within the time specified or extended period, as the case may be, the Settlement Commission may direct that the amount which remains unpaid, together with simple interest at the rate of eighteen per cent. per annum or at the rate notified by the Central Board of Excise and Customs from time to time on the amount remaining unpaid, be recovered, as the sum due to Central Government by the Central Excise Officer having jurisdiction over the assessee in accordance with the provisions of section 11.

(6) Where an application is allowed to be proceeded with under sub-section (1), the Settlement Commission may call for the relevant records from the Commissioner of Central Excise having jurisdiction and after examination of such records, if the Settlement Commission is of the opinion that any further enquiry or investigation in the matter is necessary, it may direct the Commissioner (Investigation) to make or cause to be made such further enquiry or investigation and furnish a report on the matters covered by the application and any other matter relating to the case.

(7) After examination of the records and the report of the Commissioner of Central Excise received under sub-section (1), and the report, if any, of the Commissioner (Investigation) of the Settlement Commission under sub-section (6), and after giving an opportunity to the applicant and to the Commissioner of Central Excise having jurisdiction to be heard, either in person or through a representative duly authorized in this behalf, and after examining such further evidence as may be placed before it or obtained by it, the Settlement Commission may, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, pass such order as it thinks fit on the matters covered by the application and any other matter relating to the case not covered by the application, but referred to in the report of the Commissioner of Central Excise and Commissioner (Investigation) under sub-section (1) or sub-section (6).

(8) Subject to the provisions of section 32A, the materials brought on record before the Settlement Commission shall be considered by the Members of the concerned Bench before passing any order under sub-section (7) and, in relation to the passing of such order, the provisions of section 32D shall apply.

(9) Every order passed under sub-section (7) shall provide for the terms of settlement including any demand by way of duty, penalty or interest, the manner in which any sums due under the settlement shall be paid and all other matters to make the settlement effective and shall also provide that the settlement shall be void if it is subsequently found by the Settlement Commission that it has been obtained by fraud, or misrepresentation of facts.

(10) Where any duty payable in pursuance of an order under sub-section (7) is not paid by the assessee within thirty days of the receipt of a copy of the order by him, then, whether or not the Settlement Commission has extended the time for payment of such duty or has allowed payment thereof by installments, the assessee shall be liable to pay simple interest at the rate of eighteen per cent. per annum or at such other rate as notified by the Central Board of Excise and Customs on the amount remaining unpaid from the date of expiry of the period of thirty days aforesaid.

(11) Where a settlement becomes void as provided under sub-section (9) the proceedings with respect to the matters covered by the settlement shall be deemed to have been revived from the stage at which the application was allowed to be proceeded with by the Settlement Commission and the Central Excise Officer having jurisdiction may, notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act, complete such proceedings at any time before the expiry of two years from the date of the receipt of communication that the settlement became void. 94 ]

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