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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | CBI cracks racket of fake I-T returns, I-T refunds-Rahul Tripathi

CBI cracks racket of fake I-T returns, I-T refunds-Rahul Tripathi

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published Published on Apr 16, 2012   modified Modified on Apr 16, 2012

In what the CBI says could be the “tip of an iceberg”, the agency has found at least 1,100 cases of allegedly fraudulent refund checks issued by the Income Tax department that has resulted in the illegal withdrawal of more than Rs 6 crore over the last three months.
The CBI has arrested two persons, including an accountant: Pankaj Kumar Gupta and Amit Kumar Sharma. Both, allegedly in league with IT officials, gained access to Central Board of Direct Taxes’ latest software system to generate fake IT returns.

Investigators said that the accused first generated forged Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards with the help of agents. During raids in Delhi and Gurgaon, the CBI seized 89 PAN cards along with PAN card applications. The accused, using these PAN numbers, entered the IT system, generated fake returns and tweaked refund amounts. They kept these between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh on each account so that seniors weren’t alerted.

This was then processed by the system and a cheque payable at State Bank of India — CBDT’s refund banker — was issued.

All the cheques, sources said, were sent to a particular post office in Delhi with minor changes in the address of the taxpayers such as lane and house numbers. The CBI is said to have found that one postman delivered all these checks to one individual and was paid Rs 200 for each delivery.

Sharma, who was arrested from Burdwan in West Bengal, allegedly opened bank accounts in false names to get these cheques encashed, sources said.

His arrest led to the seizure of Rs 1.25 crore in cash; properties worth Rs 1.5 crore; PAN cards, passbooks, cheque-books and driving licences. The name of Pankaj Gupta cropped up during investigations and he was also arrested. “Gupta delivered the refund cheques to Sharma at the cost of 50 per cent of the amount of the cheques,” said a top CBI officer.

The CBI team stumbled upon 250 such transactions which were carried out by another group in the previous financial year. “We are in the process of getting the details of these transactions and may file another case,” added an officer.

Said a CBDT official: “An internal inquiry is being conducted by the CBDT to fix the responsibility.” The CBI is also awaiting details from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which handles the software to furnish details regarding IT officials who logged into the system and generated the fake returns.

The scrutiny of the system installed by the IT Department also found that the software could be breached. IT officials handling assessments and refunds were found to be ill-equipped in system management. The CBI registered a case under Section 420 (cheating), 120 b (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and various sections of the IT Act.

The scam

* Accused teamed up with IT officials to generate fake PAN cards, fake addresses

* Using these cards, they entered IT system, generated fake IT returns

* They then tweaked refund amount but kept it between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh

* System then generated SBI refund cheques and sent to addresses in a particular locality

* Postman was paid for each cheque delivered

The Indian Express, 16 April, 2012, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cbi-cracks-racket-of-fake-it-returns-it-refunds/937234/0


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