Accused of a ₹4000 crore scam; High Court rejects bail pleas of dozens of accused
Prayagraj : The Allahabad High Court has denied bail to dozens of accused in a GST fraud case involving more than ₹4000 crore. Justice Manju Rani Chauhan issued this order, rejecting bail applications from Rajeev Jindal of Gautam Buddh Nagar and 55 others.
The court noted that when granting bail, it must consider the nature of the crime, the reliability of evidence, the possibility of punishment, the conduct of the accused, and other factors. The court also takes into account the potential for the accused to influence witnesses and the broader public and state interests.
Saurabh Dwivedi, editor of the Lallan Top web news portal, had filed a complaint at the Sector 20 police station in Noida. He claimed his fake ID was used to register GST firms in Punjab and Maharashtra without his permission. Following this, an SIT was formed to investigate, revealing a large-scale fraud. It was found that many accused were using fake IDs for GST registration and fraudulently claiming tax credits, causing significant financial loss to the government.
The court was informed that the accused had registered fake GST firms and claimed input tax credits, resulting in a loss of thousands of crores to the government. The investigation revealed a ₹4000 crore fraud involving fake tax credits, with over ₹2645 crore in losses to the government. The probe is ongoing, and several accused have come forward, leading to the identification of additional individuals involved.
The accused argued that they were not named in the FIR and were falsely implicated. The government countered that significant evidence, including company data, fake SIM cards, mobile phones, fake documents, and cash, had been seized from the accused. They claimed that the fake GST numbers were obtained from states outside Uttar Pradesh and that the complaint was filed in Gautam Buddh Nagar by someone from Delhi.
The court dismissed these objections, stating that GST oversight includes not only intra-state but also inter-state supply chains. The court concluded that jurisdictional issues could not question the validity of the complaint and rejected all bail applications due to the seriousness of the crime.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.