Andheri scrap dealer booked for evading ₹111 cr in sales tax

MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police has booked an Andheri-based scrap dealer for allegedly evading ₹111.03 crore in sales tax between 2012 and 2016. The first information report (FIR) was registered at the Amboli police station on Saturday based on a complaint by Dr Atul Ghusale, deputy commissioner of Sales Tax, Mumbai, said EOW officers.

According to the police, Dr Ghusale had submitted a written complaint in December 2024 against two top executives of STC Global Metal Private Limited, which had its office in Veera Desai Road in Andheri West. The executives were Imran Vahevaria, the firm’s managing director, and Senhila Imran Vahevaria, a director of the firm. The Vahevarias had registered their scrap import and export business under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act and the Central Sales Tax Act and they subsequently defaulted on sales tax payments for the assessment years 2012-13 to 2015-16.

“As per the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, tax dues must be cleared within 30 days. The sales tax department had served several notices to the Vahevarias and approached the EOW after it failed to recover the dues,” said a police officer.

The two executives of the firm have been booked under section 74 of the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act, the officer noted.

The sales tax department has intimated the EOW that they were unable to locate the two executives despite serving multiple notices, said an EOW officer. “The accused caused a loss of ₹111 crore to the state government by not paying the dues. We have just registered the offence and are searching for them,” said the officer.

The sales tax department has seized some bank accounts of the accused and could seize other assets if the dues are not cleared, said police.