India's GST Council to Consider Removing Arrest Powers for Tax Officials

India's GST Council is expected to consider removing arrest provisions under the indirect tax law at its October 7 meeting, following months of consultations between central and state governments. The proposal aims to boost investor confidence and address concerns about tax officials overstepping their authority, with recent arrests of company executives drawing criticism from business leaders. Fraud cases would instead be prosecuted under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with officials registering cases and investigating. Between 2021-22 and 2024-25, central GST authorities made 887 arrests among 72,393 violation cases. The government is expected to introduce legislative amendments in the winter parliamentary session to fully remove the arrest power.