VAT dept imposes Rs 19 cr penalty on trader

Delhi Government's VAT department has inflicted penalty of Rs 19.89 crore on a dealer registered from the city for allegedly showing bogus central sales and evading tax payment and also filed an FIR in this connection.
According to a statement issued by the department, the trader, dealing in dry fruits in Khari Baoli area, had been showing central sales to various dealers in states like Rajasthan, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
On an input from the department of trade and taxes, Business Intelligence Unit and on the basis of data filed by the dealer including his annual GTO, tax returns, central and local sales and purchases from other dealers were analysed.

The authorities further said that the Delhi dealer with an annual GTO of Rs 155 crore in 2014-15, had shown bogus central sales of approximately Rs 104 crore during a specific time period to dealers in Rajasthan.
"(Subsequently) a team of department officials was sent to Rajasthan for inspection and it reported that in the case of the Delhi dealer showing central sales, eight dealers from Rajasthan were found to be cancelled or non-existential and bogus.
"The alleged 'C' forms the Delhi dealer claimed to have been issued to the ones in Rajasthan were actually never issued, a revelation that invited the department's action," the department said.

The FIR has been filed against the directors, the registered firm and some Rajasthan-based firms on the charges of fraud, criminal conspiracy, misrepresentation of facts, evasion of tax and for violation of section 89 of the Delhi VAT Act, Central Sales Tax Act and penal provisions of IPC in police station IP Estate, Delhi.