Article
India’s Digital Tax Search Powers: Supreme Court Rejects PIL, Affirms Section 132 Jurisprudence
The Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the constitutionality of digital search and seizure powers under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the corresponding Section 247 of the Income Tax Act, 2025 on March 9, 2026. Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench refused to entertain arguments that warrantless access to cloud servers, emails, and encrypted devices violates Article 21 privacy rights, holding that existing judicial review mechanisms adequately safeguard taxpayers while enabling tax evasion combat.
Khurana and Khurana