2 held in fake GST scam of Rs 128 crore

New Delhi: A TV mechanic from Delhi and a Bhopal-based accountant have been arrested by Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police in connection with a Rs 128-crore fake GST invoicing racket that allegedly operated through bogus firms created using stolen identity documents.

With the latest arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to eight.

Police identified the newly arrested accused as Puneet, a resident of Yamuna Vihar in northeast Delhi, and Hemant Mulani, a 24-year-old commerce graduate from Bhopal. According to investigators, the two allegedly played key roles in creating fake GST firms and facilitating fraudulent invoicing and GST filings.

The case was registered on March 24 at EOW police station after investigators found that a fake proprietorship firm had been fraudulently created using the identity and financial documents of an unsuspecting man. Police said the victim’s documents were allegedly collected on the false promise of securing him employment in the GST department.

During the investigation, six accused were arrested earlier. Sustained interrogation of the accused allegedly revealed the involvement of Puneet and Hemant.

According to the cops, Puneet, who worked as a TV service mechanic, had access to digital copies of identity documents of several customers during the course of his work. Investigators alleged that he passed on one such ID to Hemant in exchange for money.

Hemant, who worked as an accountant in Bhopal and was familiar with the GST refund system and its loopholes, used the documents to register fake GST firms. The digital credentials of these firms were then sold to other accused for fake invoicing and GST filings.

Additional commissioner of police (EOW) Ravi Kumar Singh said, “Hemant paid Puneet Rs 5,000 for arranging the complainant’s ID, while the credentials of the fake firm were later handed over to another accused, Nitin Verma, for Rs 50,000.”