Ahmedabad Trader Faces ₹1.2 Cr GST Liability After Tax Consultant’s Alleged Fraud
Police have booked the adviser for cheating, breach of trust, and forgery as the 76‑year‑old fights to clear his name
A 76‑year‑old industrial gas equipment trader from Sarangpur, Ahmedabad, is battling to clear his name after his long‑time financial adviser allegedly turned his firm into a front for tax evasion.
For over two decades, the trader ran his business without incident. Trouble began after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime rolled out in 2017. His former consultant, once an employee at the chartered accountancy firm he relied on, had persuaded him to shift all accounting and tax work to his independent practice.
Using the trader’s mobile number but linking the GST account to an email accessible only to himself, the adviser allegedly filed fraudulent returns and generated fake invoices in the firm’s name.
The deception surfaced in December 2025 when the trader received show‑cause notices demanding recovery of ₹54.33 lakh for FY 2019‑20 and ₹65.59 lakh for FY 2021‑22, together exceeding ₹1.2 crore. Initially dismissing the notices as a bureaucratic error, the consultant promised to resolve them through “department contacts.”
Suspicious, the trader checked the GST portal directly and discovered massive purchases and sales recorded under his firm between 2019‑20 and 2022‑23, despite his business being largely inactive.
Investigators allege the consultant used the firm’s credentials to issue fake invoices to unknown traders without the owner’s consent. The Khadia police have registered a case of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery against the accused, Shah. A full investigation is underway.
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