Mandatory e-way bill compliance was not enforceable before nationwide implementation, preventing detention and penalty for non-production.

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....Mandatory nationwide e-way bill compliance for inter-State movement of goods took effect only from 1 April 2018, despite rule 138 having provided the operational mechanism earlier. Non-production of an e-way bill for goods intercepted before that date therefore did not justify detention or penalty. Correspondence between the goods, invoice and transport documents, coupled with the absence of discrepancies or material indicating intent to evade tax, supported deletion of the detention proceedings and penalty. The Revenue's challenge against that deletion failed.....