Vigilance Bureau arrests paaser Sodhi accused in tax evasion scam

Aiming to check the menace of corruption in the state the Vigilance Bureau Punjab during its ongoing campaign today arrested a main passer namely Rajinder Singh Sodhi @ Lovely from Ambala, Haryana and recovered a huge cash from his house. He was wanted in a case related to causing a huge loss to the state exchequer for evasion of GST in connivance with excise and taxation officers in the state.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau (VB) said in this regard a case FIR No. 8. dated 21.08.2020 u/s 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B, 201 IPC and 7, 7(A) and 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act had already been registered at VB flying squad-1, police station at Mohali.

Giving more details he informed that this case was registered against Punjab GST/Excise & Taxation officials and passers/mediators for being complicit for causing a huge loss to the state exchequer through provision of escape routes to passers for evasion of GST as well as imposing a lesser amount of penalty during checking of vehicles carrying unfinished (Iron scrap) and finished goods, he added.

He informed that during investigation of this case some officers of Excise & Taxation Department and Passers have already been arrested. "These passers/mediators gave hefty bribes on monthly basis to the department officials for this purpose", he said.

The spokesperson further revealed that after the arrest of above said passer Rajinder Singh Sodhi, the VB team made a house search of the accused. During the search the Vigilance team recovered huge cash amounting to Rs. 21,65,241 in the presence of witnesses, which would be further probed during investigation.

He informed that 6 day police remand of the above mentioned accused has been obtained from the competent court by the VB for further investigation in the case.