Poonam Nath

Assam: GST Scam Rs 400 crore uncovered in Lakhimpur

Digital Desk: In a major turn of events, a major GST scam involving fake bills and non-existent businesses has surfaced in the Lakhimpur district under the State GST department. The fraud was uncovered during an investigation at the GST office in North Lakhimpur when Superintendent Manoj Kumar Duwari examined State GST data.

The probe revealed that two Central GST-registered firms, Adi Enterprise and PS Enterprise, were issuing fraudulent GST invoices online and had embezzled around ₹400 crore. These businesses, owned by Aniket Swacharia, Geetashree Goswami (Adi Enterprise), and Pritam Swacharia (PS Enterprise), were found to be non-existent.

Authorities grew suspicious when an invoice indicated timber purchases from Rajasthan by an Assam-based firm and its sale in Kerala—an unlikely trade route. Further investigation into toll gate records revealed discrepancies in truck movements, prompting a deeper inquiry.

It was found that both firms fraudulently claimed Input Tax Credits (ITC) from businesses outside Assam and sold fake invoices online without any actual trade. This manipulation allowed them to evade substantial taxes. Additionally, the institutions they transacted with were also fake.

Upon uncovering the scam, Duwari informed the Central GST Commissioner in Tezpur, leading to an investigation by the GST Intelligence Directorate (ID). The ID registered a case against Adi Enterprise and PS Enterprise, ultimately arresting Aniket Swacharia and Pritam Swacharia from Guwahati.