Jamnagar: A tax evasion scam worth almost Rs.500 crores has been unearthed in Jamnagar, with the police launching a manhunt for the prime accused, CA Alkesh Pedhadiya. The Jamnagar Police, along with the GST department, has launched an in-depth investigation for the last six days for fraudulent GST tax credits filed by the CA.
The scam came to light after the City C. Division Police Station at Jamnagar launched an investigation after a complaint was filed by Pradipsinh Jadeja, a businessman from Moti Lakhani village. Alkesh Pedhadiya through his concern Brahm and Associates, had filed fraudulent GST returns through bogus bills. The Jamnagar GST Department officer Bhavnesh Desai sent a tax demand notice of Rs.2.93 crore to businessman Pradipsinh Jadeja, due to rejection of the tax credit. Jadeja explained that he was unaware of this matter and that Pedhadiya was responsible for filing his GST returns. The CA has been filing returns for Jadeja since 2017, and he used his own number to get the OTPs on the portal, allowing him to carry on the fraud undetected ever since.
Following the complaint, a case has been registered against Alkesh Pedhadiya for cheating, betrayal of trust and tax evasion. The police have raided his residence and office, seizing evidence for the case. The case is currently being handled by Police Sub Inspector PN Mori, where the focus is now on tracking Alkesh for the case.
