The HC allowed the petition and quashed the impugned detention...

The HC allowed the petition and quashed the impugned detention orders, holding that detention of goods was unsustainable where the goods, moving under a commercial agreement with a government entity, were accompanied by a genuine tax invoice and an e-way bill that expired due to a vehicular breakdown; a fresh e-way bill was generated prior to the issuance of an order under s.129(3) of the GST Act. The court found no evidence of mens rea to evade tax, and held that mere expiry of an e-way bill, in the context of an unexplained mechanical delay and prompt re-generation of the document, cannot be equated with intent to evade tax.

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