Bihar-origin man arrested for GST fraud in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offenses (BIEO) arrested one on Tuesday from Nirjuli in Arunachal Pradesh in relation to two cases of financial fraud registered by the Assistant Commissioners of State Tax, Guwahati Unit -A and Guwahati Unit- D on 20 June at the BIEO police station.

The first one was registered based on an FIR filed by Sonaram Langtasa based on an enquiry report by the Economic Intelligence Unit, Assam. It was found that M/S Amit Traders had purchased goods from M/S Shree Ram Enterprise of Arunachal Pradesh on 31.03.2023 amounting to Rs 32.35 Cr with tax implication of Rs. 5.91 Cr in 216 invoices and the same has been sold back to different traders of Arunachal Pradesh. M/S Shree Ram Enterprise has wrongfully claimed Input Tax Credit (|TC) of Rs. 116 Cr. out of which Rs. 5.91 Cr. has been passed on to M/s Amit Traders, Assam. M/S Amit Traders having a registered address as OYO Hotel, Athgaon, Subhas Road, Guwahati is found to be a non-existent dealer and proprietor Amit Sharma, S/O Ashok Sharma could not be located. So an FIR is registered vide BIEO PS Case No. 14/2023 U/S 120B/419/420/468/471 IPC.

The second one was based on another FIR filed by Naba Kumar Deka reading M/S Deepak Enterprise having GST registered addresses as House No. 109, Pandu Institute Colony, Pandu Port Road, Guwahati-781010, purchasing goods from M/S Shree Ram Enterprise of Arunachal Pradesh, M/S Najmeen Traders of Bihar and M/S Manish Enterprise of Maharashtra amounting to Rs 100.27 Cr. having tax implication of Rs 18.06 Cr. during the period November 2022 to March 2023. M/s Deepak Traders has resold the goods to various traders of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana. M/S Shree Ram Enterprise of Arunachal Pradesh has claimed ITC amounting to Rs 116 Cr out of which Rs 16.80 Cr has been passed on to M/s Deepak Enterprise. Upon enquiry, it was found that M/S Deepak Enterprise has fraudulently registered the entity by submitting fabricated documents of one Deenak Patwa. Son of Laxman Patwa and the dealer was found to be a non-existent dealer The FIR is registered vide BIEO PS Case No 15/2023 U/S 120B/419/420/468/471 IPC.

The investigation established that M/S Amit Traders was fraudulently registered vide GSTIN 18MMJPS7841G1Z7 in Assam. In the same pattern, M/S Deepak Enterprise is also found to be registered under GSTIN 18CIIPK5197A1Z5 with fake addresses. This led to further investigation into the matter by GST officials who visited and questioned approximately 30 businesses regarding the matter. It was found that Vivek Gupta, proprietor of M/S North East Enterprise, and M/s Sab Trading Agency, Naharlagun and Atish Kumar Tiwari proprietor of M/S Arunachal Machinery & power tools, Doimukh Road, Niriuli are the masterminds behind the sale of take invoices without actual supply of goods to various taxpayers at ltanagar, Naharlagun and other parts of Arunachal Pradesh in the name of M/s Amit Traders and M/s Deepak Enterprises which were fake businesses created by them to fraudulently taken input out of the purchase to claim ITC, thereby causes huge fiscal loss to the Govt. exchequer.

One of the perpetrators, Atish Kumar Tiwari, age 21 years, S/O Late Shiv Sankar Tiwari with a residential address at village Saidpura, PS Goriakoti, Dist. Siwan, Bihar having a business establishment in Arunachal Pradesh was interrogated and the investigation substantiated that, he along with Vivek Gupta masterminded these claims for ITC for their undue pecuniary gain. Accordingly, he is arrested on 04-07-2023 in BIEO PS Case No. 14/2023 and will be arrested in BIEO PS Case No. 15/2023.

Also Read:  Multi-state tax syndicate fraud busted; mastermind arrested in Delhi

Also Watch: