Guwahati: Two prime accused sent to DGGI custody in Rs 500 crore GST fraud case

In a major breakthrough in the Rs 500 crore GST fraud case recently unearthed in Guwahati, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Guwahati Zonal Unit, has secured departmental custody of two prime accused linked to large-scale tax evasion in the coal and coke trade.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup Metro, on Wednesday granted four days’ custody of Gaurav Agarwal and Deepak Agarwal under Section 53(3) of the BNSS. 

Two other accused, Guddu Singh and Binod Agarwal, managed to secure conditional bail in the same case.

Investigators revealed that the accused were allegedly operating a syndicate that facilitated fake invoicing worth over Rs 1,000 crore, primarily in the movement of coal and coke across the Northeast to other parts of the country through a web of shell companies.

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An official involved in the probe suggested that the case could expand further. 

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Our investigation is leading us to more influential names. Stronger and swifter action will be taken against the kingpins and illegal coke establishments operating across rural Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh,” the official said.

Over the past eight months, the DGGI’s Guwahati unit has arrested 11 individuals linked to GST evasion rackets across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal. 

Authorities confirmed that tougher enforcement measures are being readied to crack down on fraud networks and tighten compliance in the coal and coke sector.