20 people under scanner for suspicious I-T returns
The amount involved in case is more than Rs 3 cr: Police
New Delhi: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has started their probe in the case where suspicious income tax refunds were made. Police said that the amount involved in the case was more than Rs three crore. More than 20 people and various firms are under the scanner of the investigators.
Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW) OP Mishra told Millennium Post that they have registered a case in this regard on the complaint of I-T department and started their investigation. "Income Tax during their scrutiny discovers that there are some fictitious claims for refunds under suspicious names and then they gave complaint to us," said Mishra.
The complaint was filed by an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax who told police that he had to generate the report for refunds issued every fortnight as a routine practice. "While generating the report of the refund issued on September 26, it was observed that refunds were issued suspiciously and without any receipt of any application under section 154 of IT Act for the issue of such refunds," the complainant told the police. Further, it was revealed that the refunds were issued to the tune of nearly Rs 3.63 crore to the assessees on September 18 and 24.
An enquiry committee conducted a detailed enquiry and it was found that the fraud was committed by the accused persons in a very calculative manner. They made sure that transactions look like genuine. "A company was incorporated in the year 2007 in the name of a private jewellery firm and had two directors. The company had not carried out any business and had not filed any return of income after March 2007.
The firm had taken the TAN number from the Income Tax Department for deducting TDS returns from the payments made to its vendors and also for filing TDS returns," police said, adding further no return was filed by the company in the year 2008-09. Later it was also found that the firm had also started misusing TAN for the fraud with the department.
Further enquiries conducted by Income Tax revealed irregularities committed at various levels at the time of opening of the bank accounts and issuance of PAN cards.
"Refunds to the tune of more than three crore rupees were issued to 20 people, further it was found that PAN of most of these people was issued at the same address belonging to two manpower supplying agencies," the complainant told the police.
The I-T department also made enquiries to the addresses and found that none of the suspects was traceable at the said addresses except one person who claimed that he was not aware of any return filed by him.
