GST raid yields Rs 80 lakh, illegal documents

Ludhiana, February 13

Cash amounting to Rs80 lakh and a bunch of incriminating documents, including multiple bills, receipts and cheque books, were seized by the Ludhiana chapter of the State GST department during a search and seizure operation from a local trader in Mandi Kesar Ganj here today.

The firm, involved in the trading of edible oil and non-edible oil, was having annual turnover running into crores of rupees, said a senior official.

The action was taken on a tip-off by a team of state tax officials, comprising Manu Garg, Dharminder Kumar, Davinder Pannu and inspectors Munish Kumar, Ashwani Kumar and Rishi Verma.

It was done after Punjab Taxation Commissioner Nilkanth S Avhad and Additional Taxation Commissioner-1 Showkat Ahmad Parry had asked the Deputy Commissioner of State GST to take action in the matter.

Ludhiana Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner Tejveer Singh Sidhu said that the records seized were being examined for ascertaining the actual amount of tax evasion involved and further investigation was in progress.

After recovering huge amount of cash, the state tax officials, while following the protocol, called the officials of the Income Tax Department on the spot for handling the heavy amount of cash.

The Income Tax Department officials counted the cash in the presence of the state GST authorities.

A bunch of loose papers and books of account, pertaining to business transactions, were also impounded from the business premises.

The officials suspected that more than one firm might be operating from the same premises. “It is also suspected that edible oil was purchased by the dealer with sale shown through bogus transactions where actual goods were sent elsewhere and tax payable was evaded in this way,” the officials added. — TNS

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.