The Maharashtra Goods and Service Tax (GST) department officials have arrested a Pune-based trader for allegedly using fake invoices worth Rs 36.34 crore and evading tax of Rs 13.08 crore.
Doulat Shivlal Choudhary, 26, allegedly used fake invoices that included tax credit passed worth Rs 6.54 crore and fake input tax credit availed to the tune of Rs 6.54 crore. He was arrested on Wednesday and sent to judicial custody till July 27, the department said in a press release.
While analysing a group of newly registered taxpayers using comprehensive analytical tools and information available on the GST portal, the state GST department noticed suspicious business activity by Shiv Steel Traders amounting to more than Rs 72.68 crore.
A Pune investigation team of the state GST visited Choudhary’s company premises at Bhosari, Pune, on April 26. Under the supervision of Reshma Ghanekar, joint commissioner of state tax, Pune, the team found that Choudhary had allegedly issued fake invoices worth Rs 36.34 crore and evaded tax of Rs 13.08 crore, the department said. Officials added that subsequently, Choudhary was arrested and on July 13, the chief judicial magistrate in Pune sent him to judicial custody till July 27.
In the financial year 2022-23, the state GST department in Maharashtra has arrested 27 accused.
In another case, the department arrested Nirakar Ramchandra Pradhan, 47, on July 8 under a special operation carried out against tax-evading firms. An investigation revealed that Sunshine Traders, a Mumbai-based proprietary firm, had received fake bills amounting to Rs 69.99 crore, resulting in fake input tax credit of Rs 12.59 crore on inward supply from various GSTIN-cancelled suppliers.
Additionally, with the help of fake bills of Rs 91.25 crore, the taxpayer also passed on fake input tax credit of Rs 16.42 crore without actual supply of any goods or services. An additional chief metropolitan magistrate court remanded Pradhan to 14 days’ judicial custody.
Source: IndianExpress
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