In Brief
A sugar mill company challenged the imposition of electricity duty on electricity it supplied to Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB), arguing it sold to a licensed distributor, not to a consumer. The High Court declined to entertain the writ petition, citing alternative remedies and factual disputes. The Supreme Court held the High Court erred: the matter involves pure questions of law (statutory interpretation and constitutional competence) not requiring factual adjudication, and jurisdictional challenges can be raised via writ petition despite available alternatives. The Court remanded the case to the High Court for fresh determination.
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