SC agrees to hear govt on CGST, asks high courts to not hear such cases

The central government had moved SC seeking clarification on its powers to arrest a person without filing an FIR under the CGST

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the government’s plea seeking clarifications on powers to arrest an accused without filing a first information report (FIR) under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) laws. The court, while constituting a three-judge Bench to hear the matter, also asked high courts (HCs) across the country not to interfere in such cases at this stage.

The apex court’s order came on a plea moved by the government in which it claimed that HCs were granting ex-parte interim relief to petitioners without considering any principles. The plea challenged a Bombay HC order that had,