GST Department’s Pune Branch Nabs Fraudulent Trader in Tax Evasion Case For Raising Fake Invoices
Pune: In a decisive move, the Pune Branch of the Maharashtra State Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department has apprehended an individual engaged in tax evasion through the utilization of counterfeit purchase invoices. M/S V. V. Corporation has been targeted as part of a specialized operation launched by the department.
The thorough investigation has revealed that V. V. Prabhakar Venu, the proprietor of the said corporation, devised an elaborate scheme to evade taxes by accepting payments from fictitious and deceitful traders, all while employing fabricated purchase bills. The magnitude of the tax evasion amounts to a staggering Rs 6.26 crore, as Venu illicitly obtained spurious invoices for merchandise valued at approximately Rs 34.82 crore.
According to available information, V. V. Prabhakar Venu has been arrested under the provisions of Section 132 (1) (c) of the Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax Act of 2017. The arrest materialized as a direct result of an intensive investigation, and subsequently, the accused has been remanded to judicial custody for a span of 14 days by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Pune.
The triumphant operation was executed under the astute guidance of Additional State Tax Commissioner Dhanjay Akhade, Assistant Commissioner Deepak Bhandare, Deputy Commissioner Manisha Gopale-Bhoir, and Assistant Commissioners Bharat Suryavanshi, Satish Lanka, and Sachin Sangle. These officials, along with a dedicated team of State Tax Inspectors, were pivotal in carrying out this successful operation.
In the ongoing financial year of 2023-24, the Maharashtra State Goods and Services Tax Department has orchestrated a total of 11 apprehensions in cases of significant nature. The department emphatically asserts its commitment to taking stringent measures against individuals embroiled in such illicit activities.
