Turf clubs liable to pay GST on bet amount: Karnataka HC

BENGALURU: A division bench of the Karnataka High Court stayed the order of a single-judge bench which had struck down Rule 31A(3) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, that makes turf clubs liable to pay GST on the entire bet amount received by the totaliser. 

Hearing the appeal filed by the Union of India and Assistant Commissioner of Central Tax, against the order of the single-judge bench, the division bench comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum stayed the order which struck down sub-rule (3) which was inserted with Rule 31-A, by issuing a notification on January 23, 2018. The appellants contended that the judgement passed by the single judge is erroneous and liable to be set aside, and is opposed to the scheme and provisions of the GST law. 

On June 2, 2021, the single bench had struck down the sub-rule on the ground that it is ultra vires of the provisions of the CGST Act, while allowing petitions filed by Bangalore Turf Club and Mysore Race Club Ltd questioning the rule. 

HC seeks timeline for demolition of illegal religious buildings
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Chief Commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to file an affidavit indicating the timeline for demolition and relocation of illegal religious structures. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice NS Sanjay Gowda passed the order after noting that an affidavit has been filed by the BBMP that only five such structures have been demolished so far out of the 277 illegal religious structures put up after September 29, 2009. The hearing was adjourned to September 17.