*FIR registered in Ludhiana against a transporter and two associates for running a syndicate on forged invoices: Harpal Singh Cheema*
*62 interconnected bogus firms identified across multiple states, including 25 operating in Punjab: Harpal Singh Cheema*
*Honest taxpayers will be protected, but those playing fast and loose with public money will face the music, warns Cheema*
In a massive crackdown designed to nip tax evasion in the bud, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday announced the unearthing of a highly organized, multi-state GST fraud network. Divulging the details, the Minister said, "The suspected tax evasion involves a staggering taxable value of ₹2,410.22 crore, leading to a corresponding GST fraud of ₹429.30 crore."
Asserting that no one is above the law and the state is committed to bringing the guilty to book, Finance Minister Cheema disclosed that acting on the meticulous intelligence gathered by the State Intelligence and Preventive Unit (SIPU), an FIR (No. 0185 dated October 13, 2026) has been registered at Police Station Division No. 4, Ludhiana. The Minister revealed, "The case has been slapped against Harsh Thapar, proprietor of Shree Balaji Transport Company, along with Sammy Dhiman, Jass, and other accomplices under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 132 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017."
Shedding light on how the authorities caught the culprits red-handed, the Finance Minister explained that the thread was pulled on September 30, 2026, when a State Tax Officer from SIPU, Ludhiana, intercepted a vehicle (DL01AR-1775) transporting goods purportedly from Delhi to Punjab. He said, "This interception proved to be merely the tip of the iceberg,."
The Minister further added that while the accompanying e-way bills and invoices indicated supplies to three Punjab-based firms, the declared recipients flatly denied placing any such orders or purchasing the goods when contacted.
Unveiling a sprawling house of cards, the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema pointed out that the subsequent investigation exposed a well-orchestrated syndicate moving goods via non-genuine documents. He said, "By connecting the dots through advanced data analytics and e-way bill records, our department has identified a labyrinth of 62 interconnected firms operating across various states, with 25 of these firmly rooted in Punjab."
Adding further, Cheema said, "This syndicate operated predominantly during the financial years 2025–26 and 2026–27. The transporter allegedly acted as a linchpin by receiving fake invoices from other entities and filling Part-B of the e-way bills to grease the wheels of this illicit trade."
Promising to leave no stone unturned in recovering the state's dues, the Finance Minister declared that the matter has been handed over to the Police authorities for a sweeping criminal investigation into the entire network. Simultaneously, he has directed the Taxation Department to initiate a rigorous drive to scrutinize all linked beneficiary dealers, assess wrongful input tax credit, and recover every single penny of the tax, interest, and penalty due.
"The Punjab Government will not allow the state exchequer to be bled dry. We are increasingly focusing on intelligence-based enforcement to break the backbone of such cartels," said Finance Minister Cheema.
Issuing a stern warning, the Minister concluded, "Those generating or utilising fraudulent documents to evade taxes will face the music. Intermediaries and transporters who knowingly facilitate such white-collar crimes will also be brought within the ambit of accountability. We will strictly separate the wheat from the chaff, our honest taxpayers will be fully protected and facilitated, but deliberate tax evaders will be dealt with an iron hand."
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