Man arrested in Chhattisgarh for alleged GST evasion worth Rs 71.38 crore

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In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, a man was apprehended on Saturday for purportedly dodging GST payments through fraudulent input tax credits amounting to Rs 71.38 crore, according to an official statement.

The suspect, identified as Sarvesh Kumar Pandey by Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) authorities, allegedly worked with Hemant Kasera, who was arrested the previous month. Kasera was accused of arranging a network of 13 phoney firms to illegally claim credits totalling Rs 62.73 crore, of which Rs 51.42 crore had been distributed to various beneficiaries by February 2024, reported PTI.

According to the report, the CGST officer revealed that Pandey obtained counterfeit invoices not just from Kasera's network, but also from other deceptive businesses. Pandey is accused of evading GST payments of Rs 71.38 crore by using fraudulent input tax credits. He has been held under judicial custody until additional legal processes.

"Pandey not only purchased fake bills from Kesara but also from other fraudulent firms. Pandey availed Rs 71.38 crore using bogus ITC to evade GST. He has been remanded in judicial custody," the official told the PTI report.