The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) Gurugram Zonal Unit (GZU), Haryana, has arrested Shri Ritesh Aggarwal, resident of Bahadurgarh, Haryana on charges of passing and availment of fake ITC while operating dummy, fake and non-existent firms and encashing this unduly availed input tax credit (ITC) through IGST refund mode by showing export of cigarettes.

It became apparent from the investigation that Shri Ritesh Aggarwal , the proprietor of M/s SR Impex was de-facto controller of another firm - M/s SR International. In the supply chain of these firm were found to be six other dummy firms by the names of M/s Joles Trading Co, AS Traders, AR Traders, Om Traders, Capital India & S.M enterprises - all controlled by Shri Ritesh Agarwal. In all these firms, Shri Ritesh Aggarwal had availed and passed on ITC of ₹ 376 crore by means of billing without goods.  Shri Ritesh Aggarwal was sanctioned refund of ₹ 37.13 crore from the department.

In addition, Shri Ritesh Aggarwal was found to be a habitual offender. In an earlier case also Show Cause Notice for demand of  ₹ 26.53 crore was issued to him for similar modus operandi of operating fake firm, M/s SS & Co. (GSTIN 06DJUPD5067G2ZW) and availing and passing on fake ITC.

Further, Shri Ritesh Aggarwal, who also adopts the alias of Ravi Gupta, was found to be accused in the Show Cause notice dated 01.03.2019 issued by the DGRI wherein fraudulent drawback was availed on imported areca nuts by forging the Certificate of Origins.

The investigation spanned multiple locations in Delhi and Haryana and based on documentary evidence and statement recorded of many suppliers of these firms, it was ascertained that Shri Ritesh Aggarwal is a key person in orchestrating this racket of making fake/non-existent/dummy firms and wrongly availment and passing on on ITC of ₹ 376 crore. Accordingly, Shri Ritesh Aggarwal was arrested on 09.02.2021 and produced before Duty MM, Patiala House Court Delhi, who ordered judicial custody.

Further investigations in the matter are under progress.

Fraudulent availment of input tax credit exposed; arrest recorded and criminal tax investigation continues. Allegations describe fraudulent availment and passing on of input tax credit through a network of dummy and non existent firms controlled by a single person, with wrongful encashment of credit via the IGST refund mechanism based on billing without goods; documentary evidence and supplier statements are said to connect the individual to the scheme, and arrest and judicial custody were recorded while further investigations continue.