The Bombay High Court has set aside a non-bailable warrant issued against actor Arjun Rampal by a magistrate’s court in a 2019 tax-related case. The high court termed the earlier order as “mechanical,” “cryptic,” and “contrary to law,” stating it was passed without proper application of mind.
Bombay HC quashes non-bailable warrant against Arjun Rampal in tax evasion case, calls lower court order “mechanical and cryptic”
A vacation bench of Justice Advait Sethna gave the ruling on May 16 after Rampal challenged the April 9 order that directed the issuance of a non-bailable warrant. The case stems from a 2019 complaint filed by the Income Tax department under Section 276C(2) of the Income Tax Act, which pertains to the wilful failure to pay tax.
According to Rampal’s petition, his lawyer had submitted an application seeking an exemption from personal appearance before the magistrate. Despite this, the magistrate rejected the request and issued the warrant. The High Court observed that the offence involved is a bailable one, with a maximum punishment of three years, and therefore did not justify such a harsh order.
Justice Sethna remarked, “It is a cryptic order which lacks application of mind.” The court further pointed out that the magistrate failed to record any reasons before issuing the warrant and ignored the fact that Rampal’s lawyer was present in court on his behalf.
The High Court also highlighted that issuing a non-bailable warrant in such a case could unfairly harm the actor’s reputation and legal standing. It noted that the lower court’s actions overlooked key legal considerations and were not in line with established procedures.
Rampal’s counsel, advocate Swapnil Ambure, argued that both the December 2019 notice and the April 2025 warrant were arbitrary and baseless. He clarified that the full tax amount for the financial year 2016–17, which is the focus of the complaint, had been paid, albeit after some delay. “There is no tax evasion, as alleged by the department,” Ambure told the High Court.
The case will now be taken up again on June 16 for further hearing, as the court continues to review other aspects of the matter.
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