2.75cr GST fraud gang busted, 4 held

Lucknow: Lucknow Police and cyber surveillance teams on Sunday busted a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud racket, exposing tax evasion of over Rs 2.75 crore through fake firms and bogus input tax credit (ITC). Four accused have been arrested, while the kingpin is on the run, officials said. The case originated from a complaint filed by assistant commissioner of the state tax department, Abhimanyu Pathak, regarding a fictitious firm, Swaraj Traders, which allegedly obtained GST registration using forged rent agreements and non-existent business credentials. An FIR (Case No. 157/2025) was registered at Intauja police station under BNS Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34. They lured candidates with Rs10,000–Rs20,000 to obtain their Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details , using these to register fake GST firms and fabricated rent agreements. The syndicate then generated bogus invoices and e-way bills to sell fake ITC at a 1% commission, enabling large-scale tax evasion.