SC: High Courts should know arrest possible for GST evasion

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that High Courts across the country should keep in mind that a person can be arrested for evasion of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by the competent authority.

The apex court had earlier upheld a Telangana High Court verdict which declined to entertain a plea against the provision of arrest.

A vacation bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi observed that High Courts have not taken a consistent view on granting anticipatory bail to individuals accused for GST evasion.

The court also said that the matter be placed before a three-judge bench to decide on the scope of law regarding the power of arrest.

The court issued notice on a petition by the Centre seeking clarification on the powers of concerned officials under the GST Act to arrest an individual without registering an FIR.

--IANS

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