Delhi businessman arrested in Rs. 10,000 crore GST fraud case

Noida police on Wednesday arrested a Delhi-based businessman for his alleged involvement in the Rs.10,000 crore GST [good and services tax] irregularities case, senior officers said, adding that more than 30 people have been arrested in the case since the irregularities came to fore in last June.

Shakti Avasthy, deputy commissioner of police (crime), the suspect as Tushar Gupta, 39, a multimillionaire and resident of Tilak Nagar in Delhi, who runs a packaging factory in north-west Delhi. He allegedly claimed input tax credit (ITC) fraudulently through 35 dummy companies, and caused a loss of Rs.24 crore to the government exchequer. The amount has been seized from his bank account, police said.

On June 1 last year, the Noida police busted the gang suspected of orchestrating the multi-crore fraud. According to police, the gang would register thousands of bogus companies using stolen or fake identities and further use them to generate e-way bills and obtain ITC from the government.

“Sector 20 police arrested Gupta from his residence in Tilak Nagar on Wednesday. He used the bogus companies to raise e-way bills and avail of ITC from the government. The police have seized Rs.24 crore from his bank account,” said the officer.

He added that Gupta was arrested in July by the GST department for GST offences and let out on bail two months later.

“Since June last year, Noida police has arrested a total 33 people believed to be a part of the nexus. None of the arrested suspects has got bail so far, and more arrests are possible as and how the investigation proceeds,” said the DCP, adding that Gupta has been sent to judicial custody.

Last week on Thursday, following an appeal by the Noida police, the court of chief judicial magistrate in Gautam Buddh Nagar issued non-bailable warrant against seven accused of committing fraud worth crores of rupees by using shell companies.

“The NBW has been issued against the seven masterminds, whose names have come to light during investigation into the bogus firms. They are identified as Sanjay Dhingra, Kanika Dhingra, Mayank Dhingra, Mayur Nagpal, Charu Nagpal, Punit Bhardwaj and Sanjay Gard, all residents of Delhi,” said Avasthy.

Source: Hindustan Times