GST officer dismissed for Rs 14 crore tax fraud

New Delhi, March 19

The vigilance department on Tuesday dismissed Goods and Services Tax (GST) officer Manoj Kaushik for issuing “illegal” refund orders causing a loss to the tune of several crore rupees to the government.

Kaushik, a GST officer of Ward No. 41 within the trade and taxes department, has been dismissed from his position due to gross misconduct spanning from July 26, 2021, to October 13, 2021. The dismissal comes in the wake of a grave offence committed by Kaushik, resulting in a staggering loss of Rs 14 crore to the government exchequer, officials said.

Officials revealed that Kaushik was found responsible for issuing 122 refund orders amounting to Rs 9.68 crore within a mere two-month period, without proper verification of dealer credentials. “He illegally approved refund orders worth Rs 2.24 crore on the same day as the application, with an additional Rs 7.44 crore approved within five days to non-existing firms,” they added.