Rs 262 cr cyber-tax fraud unearthed: Sisodia

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12

The Trade and Tax Department in a preliminary examination, has found that around 8,700 dealers registered with it have been showing fraudulent tax deposits into as many as 13 banks since 2013 causing a loss of Rs 262 crore to the government exchequer.

This means the tax payments that were claimed to have been made by the dealers was actually evaded by them, after hacking the internet systems of the department and banks.

The matter has been handed over to the Economic and Offences Wing of the Delhi Police for registration of an FIR, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters here.

The action came following an investigation by the department conducted during the last three months over a tip-off.

"A serious cyber tax fraud was going on since 2013. Around 8,700 traders had created fictitious IDs in the VAT system and the bank platforms. They had cracked IDs and passwords of, at least, 13 banks and the government," said Sisodia.

The department during the verification of payments under the erstwhile Delhi Value Added Tax  Act, 2005, read with Central Sales Tax Act Act, 1956, noticed that some of the payments shown made by dealers via banking channels were actually not received by the government.

"... banks confirmed that the said payments have not been credited to the Government exchequer," said Commissioner (VAT/GST) H Rajesh Prasad today in an inquiry report.