Rogue Tax Officer, 3 Lawyers, 500 Firms – Big GST Heist Uncovered In Delhi

Interestingly, the refunds were approved by the GSTO after filing the applications and approval was given within three days. In 2021, Ms Sharma was transferred to Ward 22 of the GST office and surprisingly, within a few days, over 50 firms applied for migration from Ward 6 to Ward 22, and was okayed within a short period. The migration raised alarm bells and the GST Vigilance Department sent teams to the offices of these firms. It led to the unearthing of the GST fraud, which had roots in its own office.

A particular ward has jurisdiction over a specific area.

‘The Modus Operandi’

The fake firms generated invoices worth ₹ 718 crore, i.e. fake purchases were made and business was only on paper, the probe, which was later transferred to the ACB, found. The GSTO issued refunds without verification of invoices and Input Tax Credit (ITC).

Over 40 firms were supplying goods in the first phase but no records were available in the second phase, the probe found. In the case of 15 firms, there was neither an Aadhar Card verification nor physical verification of the firm at the time of GST registration, which as per the rules is mandatory.

Of the 53 firms that migrated to Ward 22 after Ms Babita’s transfer, 48 were given a GST refund of ₹ 12.32 crore. The Non-Objection Certificates or NOCs from property owners of these firms for offices were prepared between July 26, 202 and July 27. The GSTO was transferred to Ward 22 on July 26, 2021.

The investigation revealed that the GST refunds were issued in the bank accounts of three lawyers – Rajat, Mukesh and Narendra Saini and their family members, through different bank accounts. The ACB found 1,000 bank accounts directly related to the fake firms, their family members and the employees.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rogue-tax-officer-500-firms-rs-54-crore-gst-fraud-uncovered-in-delhi-6323045#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll