Order passed by Telangana High Court in the case of M/s. Sony India Pvt. Ltd., versus Union of India and another regarding applicability of Section 149 for carrying out amendment in bill of entry. As per the term of the said judgment the following important points may kindly be noted.

1. Section 149 is an additional remedy available to the petitioner to seek amendment of the BoEs subject to the condition that such amendment is sought on the basis of documentary evidence which was in existence at the time the goods were cleared, deposited or exported as the case may be.
2. In the decision of the Supreme Court in ITC LIMITED VERSUS COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL EXCISE, KOLKATA -IV [2019 (9) TMI 802 – SUPREME COURT] while holding that the refund cannot be granted by way of a refund application under Section 27 of the Act until and unless an assessment order is modified and a fresh order of assessment is passed and duty re-determined, the Supreme Court nowhere said that such amendment or modification of an assessment order can only be done in an Appeal under Section 128 – thus, even the Supreme Court clearly indicated that the modification of the assessment order can be either under Section 128 or under other relevant provisions of the Act i.e. Section 149.
3. The stand of the respondents in the counter affidavit that only reassessment under Section 128 is the remedy available to the petitioner, and Section 149 cannot be invoked, is not tenable.
4. Section 149 of the Act does not prescribe any time limit for amending the Bill of Entry filed and assessed. The power to amend under Section 149 of the Act is a discretionary power vested with the authority. Since, it is due to incorrect determination of duty by the assessing authority initially, the petitioner is compelled to seek amendment of Bill of Entry under Section 149 of the Act. Thus, the importer / petitioner cannot be penalized for what the authority ought to have done correctly by himself.