Chandigarh: 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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
