Delhi HC posts hearing on NAA to March 9, assigns matter to regular bench

Last month, companies told court that NAA was not following due process of law and was even launching probe against them when there was no cut in GST rates

The Delhi high court on Thursday posted the hearing on a case related to constitutional validity of setting up the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) to March 9.

The matter was taken up for hearing before the special bench comprising J Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and J Sanjeev Narula.

The special bench, appreciating the importance of the issue, has directed that the question of constitutionality should be decided by a regular bench, Abhishek Rastogi, counsel for various petitions against NAA, informed.

He said as most of the matters related to constitutional validity are tagged, the conclusion of the hearing may take some more time and hence those companies which have already paid substantial portions of the alleged profiteering amount will have to wait a little longer for a decision.

Last month, companies told the court that NAA was not following due process of law and was even launching an investigation against them when there was no cut in the goods and services tax (GST) rates or any increase in the input tax credit.

Arguments were also put forward challenging the constitutional validity of setting up the NAA without any methodology prescribed for profiteering. The court has posted the matter to March 4.

Earlier, the court had clubbed petitions of over 50 companies including HUL, Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Acme Developers, Samsonite, Jubilant Foods, Nestlé, Whirlpool, Samsung, Subway, Reckitt Benckiser and Patanjali, against NAA.