DGGI unearths ₹8,000-cr GST scam linked to city-based fake firm
Rushi Prakash, DGGI officer, Pune Zonal Unit, filed an FIR (first information report) at the Koregaon Park police station on Friday regarding the case
Pune: Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) officials have uncovered a massive fraud scheme involving a fake company based in Pune registered under the name of an autorickshaw driver. The scam is estimated to be worth between ₹5,000 crore and ₹8,000 crore.
Rushi Prakash, DGGI officer, Pune Zonal Unit, filed an FIR (first information report) at the Koregaon Park police station on Friday regarding the case.
The main suspect, Ashrafbhai Ibrahimbhai Kalavadiya, 50, of Surat in Gujarat had allegedly set up 246 fake GST firms to commit the fraud. The police have also implicated several other individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.
The investigation began in October 2023 when the DGGI team found some suspicious transactions linked to an online account for “Pathan Enterprises”. Upon inquiry, the investigators found that the firm, registered in the name of Pathan Shabbir Khan Anwar Khan, was non-existent. When approached, Khan, who drives an autorickshaw, said he had no knowledge of the company registered under his name.
Authorities found that numerous fake GST firms were associated with a single mobile number and email linked to the firm. Additionally, an ICICI Bank account in Rajkot, Gujarat, was found in the name of Jeet Kukadiya. Kukadiya, a private security guard, claimed he opened the account for accused individuals Kaushik Makwana and Jitendra Gohel, stating he had never used it for any transaction.
DGGI teams have conducted raids across multiple cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar and investigation is ongoing.
