Fake invoice cases rising in Raigad

THE cases pertaining to issuance of fake invoices are on the rise in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.

Till date, four persons have been arrested by this Commissionerate under fake ITC (input tax credit) cases.

A group of people are active in Raigad district of Maharashtra who are indulged in issuance of fake invoices without actual sale and purchase and even movement of goods.

Their modus operandi is simple. First, they make sure that almost the same and fake invoices were issued for sale and purchase without actual sale and movement of goods with the sole intention to defraud the government exchequer.

Recently, the mastermind behind the fraudulent availment of ITC on behalf of M/s E Shoppe, falling under the jurisdiction of CGST & C Excise, Raigad was arrested on March 2 and remanded for 14 days judicial custody.

CGST & C Ex Raigad has initiated an investigation against M/s E Shoppe for fraudulent availment of ITC aggregating to the tune of Rs 19.2 crore.

Although the father of the arrested person is the director of the firm but it is found that his son, a practicing CA, was playing an instrumental role in fraudulent raising of invoices for availing Input Tax Credit (ITC) illegally. There are many recipients and suppliers of the fake credit in this case and now process is on to initiate recovery proceedings from all wrong doers / beneficiaries. Further investigations are on.

Talking to BIZZ BUZZ Manpreet Arora, Commissioner, Raigad, CGST, explained that in all these cases modus operandi is almost the same and fake invoices were issued for sale and purchase without actual sale and movement of goods with the sole intention to defraud the government exchequer.

She further informed that stringent measures including arrest are being taken against the perpetrators to check the menace of fake invoices.