First arrest for service tax default

Sudip Das, owner of courier company in Kolkata, was arrested for allegedly evading service tax of Rs 70 lakh

The first arrest of a service tax defaulter in the country has been made after the government got the powers recently to crack the whip on people evading this tax.

Sudip Das, owner of courier company M/s Blue Bird in Kolkata, was arrested for allegedly evading service tax of Rs 70 lakh in the first such case after Finance Minister P Chidambaram made applicable the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Das was arrested by service tax officials last week, official sources said on Monday.