Customs Act Section 108: Summons/evidence/documents
Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 30 August 2026

Summons/evidence/documents
At a Glance
Section 108 - Summons/evidence/documents.
For Section 108, Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
Key professional control: For Section 108 — Summons/evidence/documents, Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
Finin2min Decode
Section 108 addresses “Summons/evidence/documents”. Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
Read Section 108 with the delegated law and instruments that govern enforcement matters, including the version effective on the transaction date.
Decision question: Does the proposed treatment under Section 108 satisfy the provision-specific conditions for “Summons/evidence/documents”, the connected instrument and the available evidence?
Practical Example
Customs proposes enforcement action under section 108. The record should preserve the statutory trigger, officer authority, reasons, warrant/approval where required, inventory, statements, safeguards and post-action deadlines.
Professional Alert
For Section 108 — Summons/evidence/documents, Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
This page explains Section 108; it does not reproduce the official provision. Quote only the Customs Act and the exact Rule, Regulation, notification or judgment applicable to “Summons/evidence/documents” for the relevant date.
Decision Steps
- Freeze the relevant date, customs station, goods, person and procedural route.
- Read the current section with definitions, explanations, provisos and cross-references.
- Map delegated legislation, notifications and allied DGFT or partner-agency requirements.
- Test jurisdiction, limitation, conditions, evidence and any burden-of-proof rule.
- Preserve the portal trail but verify the substantive legal entitlement separately.
- Record later amendments, judgments and local procedure before publication or transaction reliance.
Evidence Checklist
- Authorisation/reasons and jurisdiction
- Search/seizure/arrest record
- Inventory, statements and digital evidence
- Release, notice and adjudication chronology
Common Errors
- Ignoring mandatory safeguards
- Breaking chain of custody
- Missing statutory notice or review deadlines
Finin2min Q&A
Section 108 concerns “Summons/evidence/documents”. Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
For Section 108 — Summons/evidence/documents, Evidence, jurisdiction, safeguards and later proceedings must be documented.
No. For Section 108 — Summons/evidence/documents, use this guide to organise the analysis, then rely on the official Customs Act and the connected instrument or binding decision in force for the matter.
Official sources and scope
This page is an analytical or operational guide. The controlling wording, tariff item, notification conditions, portal version and judicial status must be checked in the official source applicable to the transaction date.
- Official record for this item
- India Code - Customs Act PDF
- India Code - Customs Act register
- CBIC Tax Information - Customs
Source review date: 2026-07-28. Historical matters require the law and instrument version applicable to the relevant date.