Accused in bogus billing scam gets bail

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court has granted conditional bail to the main accused, Mohammad Abbas Savjani, also known as Mohammad Tata, in the fraudulent billing scam involving crores of rupees in input tax credit (ITC) under the Goods & Services Tax (GST) laws.
Justice Nirzar Desai has allowed Tata’s bail on the condition that he does not enter Bhavnagar district for six months and does not leave India without permission from the court.The bail was granted as the GST officials, who are investigating the Rs 739 crore scam, failed to provide a report within the additional two-month period granted for further investigation.
Advocates Nirupam Nanavaty and Chetan Pandya highlighted the investigators’ inability to complete the probe within the extended two-month timeframe. They also pointed out that five co-accused persons had been granted bail by the HC . In granting bail to Tata, the HC noted that the state GST department had failed to establish how Tata’s role differed from that of the co-accused persons who had been released on bail.