In a significant crackdown on financial fraud, the Sadar police station in Nagpur has registered a case against three individuals for allegedly cheating the government of approximately ₹25 lakh through fraudulent claims of Input Tax Credit (ITC) under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
The Complaint and the Alleged Modus Operandi
The complaint was filed by Pramod Rao Pinge, 55, an officer stationed at the State GST office opposite Ravi Bhavan and a resident of Akhil Vishwabharati Housing Society. According to his complaint, the accused orchestrated the scam over a period of more than two months, between September 19 and November 25, 2025.
The alleged fraudsters, identified as Laddu Khan Pathan, Chandrapal Rai Nanhe, and another accomplice linked to a common mobile number, employed a sophisticated web of deception. Their method involved using completely fabricated documentation to obtain GST registration numbers illegitimately.
The forged documents included fake electricity bills, counterfeit tax certificates, and bogus bank account details. They even used fictitious names and addresses to create a veneer of legitimacy for their operations. With these fraudulently acquired GST numbers, the accused then proceeded to file fake returns, claiming wrongful input tax credit from the government treasury.
Legal Action and Charges Filed
Following a thorough investigation based on Pinge's complaint, the Sadar police have taken formal legal action. A case has been registered under the stringent provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The specific sections invoked are BNS 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), and 3(5), which pertain to charges of cheating, forgery, and using forged documents as genuine. Additionally, relevant sections of the Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 have been applied, highlighting the serious nature of the fiscal offense.
Implications and Ongoing Probe
This case underscores the challenges faced by tax authorities in curbing GST fraud and input tax credit scams, which result in significant revenue loss for the state. The use of fake utility bills and bank accounts points to a premeditated attempt to bypass systemic checks.
The police are now delving deeper into the network of the accused to uncover the full extent of the fraud. The investigation will focus on tracing the flow of the illicitly claimed funds and determining if more individuals or entities are involved in this fraudulent GST claims racket. This action serves as a warning against those attempting to manipulate the nation's tax infrastructure for personal gain.
