Gurmeet Singh Batra @ Sahil Vs Union of India (Allahabad High Court)
Summary: In the case of Gurmeet Singh Batra @ Sahil vs. Union of India, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to the accused involved in a ₹2645.29 crore GST fraud case. The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) uncovered a large-scale scam involving the creation of 3100 fake firms, which passed on fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC) without actual supply of goods or services. Out of these, 2528 firms were identified, with 22 firms found non-existent. The scam spanned multiple states, and investigations revealed the involvement of several individuals, including the accused, in setting up shell firms and issuing bogus invoices. Despite the gravity of the offense, the court granted bail to Gurmeet Singh, considering the lack of direct evidence linking him to the creation of fake firms and the fact that a co-accused, who had a more significant role, had already been granted bail. The court imposed strict conditions on the accused, including the surrender of his passport and non-indulgence in similar offenses. The bail was granted based on these conditions and the absence of sufficient evidence proving direct involvement in the scam.
Introduction: The Hon’ble Allahabad High Court in the case that the other accused with more serious role in commission of of Gurmeet Singh Batra @Sahil v. UOI [Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 20538 Of 2024 dated August 07, 2024] released the accused on bail inter-lalia on the ground crime has already been released on bail.
