LoP Satheesan demands CBI probe into Rs 1,100 crore GST scam in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 (IANS) Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a GST-related scam in Kerala, alleging that a single group orchestrated fraud worth Rs 1,100 crore.

Speaking to the media, Satheesan claimed that registrations were made in the names of ordinary people without their consent, while the collection and payment of GST were routed through the fraudsters’ accounts.

The scam, he said, was detected by Pune Intelligence, but the state government’s only action so far has been to cancel the registrations.

“The state exchequer has already suffered a loss of Rs 200 crore. The money that should have reached the treasury has not been recovered. Most of those affected people, whose records were used, are not even income taxpayers. Moreover, the state government has not informed them, as now they are liable to get notices from the I-T authorities as transactions worth crores of rupees have been done using their PAN and Aadhaar,” said Satheesan. He further revealed that unofficial reports suggest around 1,000 such frauds are similarly taking place.

Raising concerns about governance, Satheesan criticised the GST administration for failing to ensure the integrity of registration data. “This is not just tax evasion; it is also data theft. A section of GST officials is allegedly colluding with the fraudsters,” he said.

In view of the scale and complexity of the scam, Satheesan called for an independent CBI investigation to uncover the full extent of the fraud and hold those responsible accountable.

He alleged that the state government is attempting a planned effort to protect officials involved, and emphasised that only an impartial probe can restore public trust.

The Opposition leader’s demand has intensified political pressure on the government, highlighting serious lapses in the oversight and administration of Kerala’s GST system.

--IANS

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