Puneet Kothapa, the son-in-law of former Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, received temporary relief as the High Court of Andhra Pradesh issued interim orders on Tuesday, instructing the police to refrain from taking immediate action, such as arrest, against him for alleged charges of GST evasion related to vehicle purchases.
Puneet, who is the Managing Director of NSPIRA Management Services, filed a petition to quash the charges of GST evasion related to vehicle purchases. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Nellore Deputy Transport Commissioner, leading Balaji Nagar police to file a case against Puneet. Justice K Sreenivasa Reddy, while issuing the interim orders, permitted the police to continue their investigation while directing the respondents to submit a detailed counter within four weeks.
During the hearing, senior advocate Dammalapati Srinivas, representing the petitioner, argued that the GST officials did not file any complaint, suggesting that the case against Puneet was politically motivated.
He further contended that any tax discrepancies could be rectified under the Motor Vehicles Act and that filing criminal charges was unjustified. On the other hand, the government pleader alleged that NSPIRA Management Services procured 82 buses through fraudulent means, causing financial loss to the state.
In the proceedings at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in Amaravati, the case number being Criminal Petition No.1583 of 2024, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor sought time to gather instructions.
The court directed the petitioner’s counsel to serve personal notice on the respondent within three weeks and file proof of service.
The court emphasized that investigations should proceed, while no coercive actions should be taken against Puneet for six weeks, during which he is expected to cooperate with the investigating agency.
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