Now Reading: SC sets aside Future Group director’s arrest protection in GST case
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SC sets aside Future Group director’s arrest protection in GST case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed a Bombay High Court order that gave Future Group director Sunil Biyani one week's protection from arrest in a GST investigation. A bench of justices Dipankar…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed a Bombay High Court order that gave Future Group director Sunil Biyani one week's protection from arrest in a GST investigation. A bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu ruled that a high court cannot grant such relief after declaring an anticipatory bail plea premature.
The SC, however, clarified that GST authorities must communicate to the accused the reasons for arrest recorded under Section 69 of the CGST Act, including by email. The case relates to Biyani's fear of arrest after being summoned in a GST probe. The Centre had argued no arrest order under Section 69 had been issued against him, making his plea premature, but the high court still gave him conditional protection.
The Indian Opinion
The Bombay High Court tried to be fair by barring arrest for a week even after deeming the bail plea premature. But the Supreme Court's common-sense rebuke is welcome: a court cannot grant what it calls a premature plea. The real takeaway is procedural discipline. Section 69 of the CGST Act requires the commissioner to record reasons before authorising arrest. The SC has now insisted those reasons must be communicated, by email if needed. Watch how quickly authorities now comply with this transparency requirement.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
