The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its campaign against corruption on Tuesday arrested six Passers/Mediators accused in the GST scam. These private persons were bribing the state taxation officials who in turn were giving them escape routes to evade taxes and further evading GST during checking of vehicles carrying unfurnished goods (Iron scrap) and furnished goods by imposing less penalty.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau said in this regard a case FIR No 8, dated 21/08/2020 had already been registered u/s 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B, 201 IPC and 7, 7(a), 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act at police station Vigilance Bureau, Flying Squad-1 Punjab at Mohali against the GST/ Excise and Taxation officials besides the passers/mediators who in connivance with each other caused a huge loss to the State exchequer.
He further added that during further investigation of this case the Economic Offences Wing of the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab today arrested six passers/mediators namely Balwinder Singh @ Babu Ram, Sachin Kumar Luthra, Pawan Kumar @ Kala, Ajay Kumar, Randhir Singh and Avtar Singh. In this case some officers of the Taxation Department and passers had already been arrested.
He informed that these accused were actively involved in this nexus of passing vehicles belonging to different States carrying iron scrap/furnished goods without paying requisite amount of GST in connivance with GST officials of the Taxation Department.
Giving details of the modus operandi of this scam he informed that in lieu of the help by state taxation officers, the passers/mediators gave hefty bribes on monthly basis to the officers.
The spokesperson further added that the role of other group of passers and concerned GST officials would be thoroughly probed during the investigation of the case. The remand of all these arrested passers would be taken from the competent court to further investigate the matter.