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2022 (8) TMI 252 - HC - GSTGrant of Bail - evasion of GST - issuance of bogus invoices without supply of goods, in the name of fake firms created by him - Sections 132 (1) (B) (I), Central Goods & Services Tax Act, 2017 - HELD THAT:- In Y.S. JAGAN MOHAN REDDY VERSUS CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION [2013 (5) TMI 896 - SUPREME COURT], the Hon'ble Supreme Court was dealing with allegations of offences which were punishable with upto life imprisonment, but in the present case, the maximum punishment that can be imposed upon the applicant is five years' imprisonment. Moreover, the offence is compoundable as per the provision contained in Section 138 of the CGST Act, sub-Section (1) whereof provides that "Any offence under this Act may, either before or after the institution of prosecution, be compounded by the Commissioner on payment, by the person accused of the offence, to the Central Government or the State Government, as the case be, of such compounding amount in such manner as may be prescribed". Thus, the applicant has been implicated on the basis of the statement of a co-accused Chandra Prakash Kriplani, who has already been granted bail by this Court - applicant himself had been granted anticipatory bail by this Court - the department had initiated proceedings on 31.12.2019 by issuing a summons under Section 70 of CGST Act and after completion of the investigation, on 22.11.2021 the department has filed a complaint in the Court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, Agra and, therefore, it cannot be said that now the applicant is in a position to influence the investigation of the case - the applicant is languishing in jail since 26-09-2021; (6) the maximum punishment that can be imposed upon the applicant is five years' imprisonment - the offence is compoundable as per the provision contained in Section 138 of the CGST Act, the applicant is entitled to be released on bail. Let the applicant be released on bail - the instant bail application is allowed.
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