3rd arrest by CGST Commissionerate

Ludhiana, January 12

Foreign liquor, expensive cigarettes and the pull of Canadian family visa have landed one Pawan Kumar in judicial custody. This is the third arrest made by the CGST Commissionerate, Ludhiana, in the high-profile Sahil Jain case.

The arrest of Sahil Jain by the anti-evasion wing of the CGST Department on November 11 last year was followed by the arrest of another mastermind, Amandeep Singh Bhui.

Twenty three firms have been unearthed so far which were being operated by them together. They issued fake invoices valued at Rs393.91 crore involving ITC amounting to Rs 33.02 crore.

On further probe, the name of Pawan Kumar, son of Joginder Pal, emerged. He is reportedly known to Sahil Jain through the latter’s father Pardeep Kumar Jain. Sahil Jain promised Pawan Kumar not only expensive liquor and cigarettes but also PR in Canada. Falling in this trap, Pawan Kumar opened and operated five firms with different names and PANs which dealt with 23 conglomerate firms of Sahil Jain-Amandeep Bhui. The firms of Pawan Kumar were also involved in the issuance of fake invoices and fraudulent availing of the ITC.

In the statement of Pawan Kumar, which was recorded on January 11, he admitted to have connived with and abetted Sahil Jain in the issuance of fake invoices and passing on fake ITC through five bogus firms created or operated by him and Sahil Jain.

Pawan Kumar confessed that all these firms had indulged only in the issuance of fake invoices without any actual receipt/supply of goods.

Pawan Kumar, through the five firms in which he was a proprietor/partner, issued invoices valued at Rs105.93 crore involving GST amounting to Rs9.38 crore, thus confessing to causing a huge loss to the exchequer.

Based on the documentary evidence gathered such as the GST returns, eway bills etc and the admitting of the GST fraud by Pawan Kumar, who functioned in connivance with Sahil Jain, for wrongly availing as well as passing on fake ITC without any actual supply of goods, Pawan Kumar appeared to have committed offences specified under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, and was thus arrested.

This has raised the number of total number of arrests made by Ludhiana CGST Commissionerate to nine.— OC