The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has arrested two more individuals in connection with a massive Rs 128-crore fake Goods and Services Tax (GST) invoicing racket that operated through bogus firms created using stolen identity documents. The newly arrested accused have been identified as Puneet, a resident of Yamuna Vihar in northeast Delhi who worked as a television mechanic, and Hemant Mulani, a 24-year-old commerce graduate from Bhopal who worked as an accountant. With these arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to eight.
How the Racket Operated
According to investigators, the two played key roles in creating fake GST firms and facilitating fraudulent invoicing and GST filings. The case was registered on March 24 at the EOW police station after investigators discovered 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 those arrested revealed the involvement of Puneet and Hemant. Police allege that Puneet, while working as a TV service mechanic, had access to digital copies of identity documents of several customers. He allegedly passed on one such ID to Hemant in exchange for money.
Role of the Accused
Hemant, who was familiar with the GST refund system and its loopholes due to his work as an accountant, 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 stated, “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.”
The EOW continues to investigate the case and is probing the involvement of other individuals. The arrests highlight the growing misuse of identity documents in creating shell companies to evade taxes and defraud the exchequer.
