In a significant development, the Gujarat Crime Branch has arrested four additional individuals involved in a massive GST fraud case, bringing the total number of arrests to eight. Among those apprehended, three are from Bhavnagar, and one is from Rajkot.
The fraud came to light after the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) uncovered fraudulent billing activities linked to Dhruvi Enterprise, a shell company. The investigation revealed that Dhruvi Enterprise secured a GST registration in March 2023 using a forged rental agreement. The registration was later canceled by the tax authorities, prompting further scrutiny of the company’s operations.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Faizal Munafbhai Sheikh
Irfanbhai alias Padu Sattarbhai Jethwa
Jignesh Himmatlal Desai
Paresh Pradipbhai Dodia
The crime branch officials discovered that the documents of Haresh Makwana, a daily wage worker from Gadhada, Bhavnagar, were fraudulently used to establish Dhruvi Enterprise. This shell company is at the center of a GST fraud case estimated at a staggering Rs 50,000 crore.
Last week, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch filed an FIR against 13 companies after receiving a complaint from DGGI’s Ahmedabad zonal unit. The complaint detailed a network of fake companies created to fraudulently claim input tax credits (ITC) through fabricated transactions, defrauding the government of significant amounts.
As investigations continue, the Crime Branch is intensifying its efforts to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent activities and bring those responsible to justice.
