Rs 170 cr fraud unearthed in HP

Dharamshala, June 27 (UNI) In one of the biggest frauds committed in Himachal Pradesh, an illegal business of about Rs 170 crore being carried out in the past six years has been detected in the Una and Bilaspur districts of the state.

The state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau Dharamsala range had registered a criminal case in this regard in their police station at Una against six industrial firms.

Prem Kumar Thakur Superintendent of Police who is in-charge of the Dharamsala range of the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau said six industrial firms namely- Sri Ganesh Enterprises, Luxmi Narayan Enterprises, Mahaveer Chemical Company, Sai Chemical Company, Hare Krishna Chemical Company were allotted plots at Tahliwal in Una district and Siya Ram Enterprises allotted plot at Bilaspur for setting up the industrial units at their respective places.

However, as on date, they had not established their units.

Mr Thakur said these industrial firms had also fraudulently got allotted General Sales Tax (GST) and Central Sales Tax (CST) numbers in connivance with the officials concerned of the industry, sales and taxation departments in the year 2001.

Preliminary investigations revealed that these industries were illegally in possession of raw material worth Rs 169,34,90,548 brought to their units for manufacturing products, he said.

He said these raw materials were not regisered at the inter-state tax barriers.

Further, preliminary investigations had revealed that apart from carrying out the illegal business, these industries had caused direct undue loss to the state government to the tune of Rs 1,69,34,900 by getting tax benefits on forged documents, he said.

As per the FIR registered under sections - 420, 467, 468, 471 and 477 (A) of the IPC, these industries had procured the C-Forms from the excise and taxation department from time to time during the six years to get subsidy on transport on forged documents in connivance with the senior officials of the department.

Later, after availing the subsidy, to cover up the fraud, these forms were destroyed by spreading ink and chemicals on them by the industrialists.

The SP said there was a possibility of the involvement of the senior officials of the industry as well as excise and taxation departments cannot be ruled out in the scam.

No arrests had been made so far, he said, adding that the owners of these firms had been summoned to appear before the special investigation unit of the bureau of investigations.

The officials of the industry, sales and taxation departments would also be summoned for questioning, he added.

UNI