Section 90 : Confiscation of goods or conveyances and levy of penalty – Offences And Penalties

90.Confiscation of goods and/or conveyances and levy of penalty

(1) If any person –
(i) supplies or receives any goods in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder with intent to evade payment of tax; or
(ii) does not account for any goods on which he is liable to pay tax under this Act; or
(iii) supplies any goods liable to tax under this Act without having applied for registration; or
(iv) contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder with intent to evade payment of tax; or
(v) uses any conveyance as a means of transport for carriage of taxable goods in contravention of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder unless the owner of the conveyance proves that it was so used without the knowledge or connivance of the owner himself, his agent, if any, and the person in charge of the conveyance, then, all such goods and / or conveyance shall be liable to confiscation and the person shall be liable to penalty under section 85.

(2) Whenever confiscation of any goods or conveyance is authorized by this Act, the CGST/SGST officer adjudging it shall give to the owner of the goods or, where such owner is not known, the person from whose possession or custody such  goods have been seized or the owner or the person in-charge of the conveyance, an option to pay in lieu of confiscation such fine as the said officer thinks fit:
PROVIDED that such fine shall not exceed the market value of the goods confiscated, less the tax chargeable thereon:
PROVIDED FURTHER that the aggregate of such fine and penalty leviable shall not be less than the amount of penalty leviable under sub-section (1) of section 89:
PROVIDED ALSO that where any such conveyance is used for the carriage of the goods or passengers for hire, the owner of the conveyance shall be given an option to pay in lieu of the confiscation of the conveyance a fine equal to the tax payable on the goods being transported thereon.

(3) Where any fine in lieu of confiscation of goods or conveyance is imposed under sub-section (2), the owner of such goods or the person referred to in sub-section (1), shall, in addition, be liable to any tax and charges payable in respect of such goods.

(4) No order of confiscation of goods and/or conveyance and/or imposition of penalty shall be issued without serving a notice on such person requiring him to show cause and without giving the person a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(5) Where any goods and/or conveyance are confiscated under this Act, the title of such goods and/or conveyance shall thereupon vest in the appropriate Government.

(6) The proper officer adjudging confiscation shall take and hold possession of the things confiscated and every Officer of Police, on the requisition of such proper officer, shall assist him in taking and holding such possession.

(7) The proper officer may, after satisfying himself that the confiscated goods and conveyance are not required in any other proceedings under this Act and after giving reasonable time not exceeding three months to pay fine in lieu of confiscation, dispose such goods and/or conveyances and deposit the sale proceeds thereof with the Government.