MM TAX CLUB

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) booked a Sales Tax officer along with 16 traders for allegedly causing losses of Rs 175.93 crore to the state government, the ACB said on Friday.

The accused officer, identified as Amit Giridhar Lalge (42), allegedly allowed 16 traders to make tax returns claims of Rs 175.93 crore even though they did not make any GST payments.

An ACB officer said the alleged scam took place between August 2021 and March 2022 at the state Goods and Service Tax (GST) department building in Mazgaon.

“Lalge, posted as Sales Tax officer at GST Bhavan with charge of Ghatkopar Zone, Nodal 11 at the time, allegedly conspired with 16 traders who created forged and fake rent agreements and obtained GST numbers,” he said.

These traders did not pay any kind of tax to the state government in the form of GST, but submitted 39 applications to get Rs 175.93 crore as tax returns. Lalge deliberately did not verify these claims even though the GST portal showed they were dubious,” the officer added.

It was after the GST department conducted an audit that they found that the GST tax returns being disbursed was not in line with the GST that had been paid by these 16 traders.

Based on the audit, they found that all the approvals had come from Lalge following which last year they gave a written complaint to the ACB and gave sanction to investigate the offence to the ACB.

By processing these returns and disbursing money to 16 traders, Lalge caused a loss of Rs 175.93 crore to the Maharashtra government, the official said.

Lalge and the 16 traders were charged for cheating, forgery and other offences under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code, the official added. The officer said that so far no arrests have been made in the case.