Recently, the Central Goods and Services Tax Department, Raipur has dismantled a network of 13 fraudulent companies dedicated to producing fake invoices and claiming Input Tax Credit ( ITC ). This operation, based on precise intelligence, data analysis, and extensive surveillance, led to the arrest of Mr. Hemant Kasera, the mastermind behind the scheme, on April 04, 2024.
Investigations revealed that a significant amount of these bogus ITC claims were routed to M/s Bansal Traders, M/s Om Traders, and M/s HMS Traders in Raipur through firms operated by Hemant Kasera. Subsequent actions included searches at the business premises of these firms.
Upon scrutiny, it was discovered that these three companies are under the control of Mr. Sandeep Bansal. After a thorough examination of documents and accounts, it became evident that Mr. Bansal not only acquired fake bills from Hemant Kasera but also from over 25 counterfeit companies in Delhi.
Upon facing the evidence, Mr. Sandeep Bansal confessed to obtaining bogus invoices and fraudulently claiming ITC worth Rs 6.94 Crore to evade taxes. As a result, he was apprehended on April 16, 2024, by the Central GST Team under section 69(1) of the CGST Act, 2017. He has been presented before the court, and the CJM court has remanded him to judicial custody.
“One, Hemant kasera was identified as the mastermind behind the racket and was apprehended. On being confronted with facts and evidences, he agreed to have created a web of fictitious firms for the purpose of passing on Fake input tax credit and admitted that he has availed fake credit amounting to 62.73 crore and passed on fake credit 51.42 crore through GSTR1 filed till Feb 2024”, official sources reveal.
CGST Raipur is aggressively pursuing enforcement measures against tax evaders, particularly those engaged in fraudulent billing practices. These recent arrests bring the total number of individuals apprehended by CGST Raipur Commissionerate for fraudulent billing activities to 16 since the implementation of GST law in 2017.
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