Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 27: The south zone commercial tax officials have claimed success in busting the biggest GST fraud in the country. They have arrested three businessmen relating to this scandal. They have been identified as Vikram Jeet Duggal, Ashfaq Ahmed, and Nayaz Ahmed.

Reportedly these three persons had set up fake companies in T Dasarahalli and Chikkabanavara, and issued fake GST invoices to fraudulently claim input tax credit. In a swift action, a team led by commercial taxes commissioner, Nitish Patel, took the three into custody and questioned them, after collecting information. The team also had commercial taxes deputy commissioner, Ravi Kumar, assistant commissioners, Yoganand, Kiran Biradar and Jayaveer Gaokar besides other officials. The arrests were made from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The total fraud involving these three is said to be in the order of Rs 203 crore.

During the questioning, the tax officials came to know that they had committed frauds in 14 spots. All these spots were raided, and incriminating documents, files, laptops etc were seized. The officials found that bogus GST bills were issued to hundreds of dealers. The total amount of fraud could be around Rs 2,000 crore as pre an estimate. The fraud is spread out in the city besides Gadag, Mysuru, Ilkal, Belagavi etc. The government was cheated of money in the name of Ratan Enterprises, Rajeev Enterprises, Raman Enterprises, Rahul, Akash Enterprises etc.

After getting scent about the impending raid, the businessmen had closed down their businesses and fled. They had created bills even in the names of deceased persons, Nitin Patel stated.