The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation into a ₹100 crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund fraud, conducting raids at seven locations in Bihar and Jharkhand. The investigation focuses on alleged fraudulent tax refunds obtained through fabricated export bills. The probe involves five customs officials, including Ranvijay Kumar, the Additional GST Commissioner of Patna.
The CBI’s raids were carried out in Patna, Purnea, Jamshedpur, Nalanda, and Munger. The agency seized assets during the raids, including seven gold biscuits weighing 100 grams.
The scam came to light when an unusual increase in the export of tiles and automobile parts to Nepal was observed from the Jaynagar, Bhimnagar, and Bhittamore Land Customs Stations (LCS) in 2022-23. This unusual activity raised suspicions, leading to a detailed investigation.
Preliminary investigations indicate that about 30 exporters fraudulently claimed GST refunds using fake export documents from these three border customs stations. These exporters allegedly submitted export bills valued under ₹10 lakh, which allowed customs superintendents to clear them without requiring higher-level authorization.
According to the CBI’s FIR, customs superintendents Neeraj Kumar and Manmohan Sharma from Jaynagar, Tarun Kumar Sinha and Rajiv Ranjan Sinha from Bhimnagar, and Additional Commissioner Ranvijay Kumar were directly involved in the fraud. The officials are accused of accepting bribes to approve fraudulent bills, thereby providing significant GST refund advantages to exporters. Ganga Singh, a clearing agent based in Kolkata, has been identified as a key player in the conspiracy.
The CBI found that the officials fabricated exports worth about ₹800 crore, including goods with 28% and 18% GST slabs, leading to fraudulent refunds of approximately ₹100 crore.
The investigation revealed that 4,161 e-way bills were submitted to showcase exports, including vehicles like two-wheelers, buses, and even ambulances, but none matched the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) database.
The CBI alleges that Additional Commissioner Ranvijay Kumar intentionally ignored the unusual increase in exports and instructed subordinate officers to pass the LEO (Let Export Order) orally. He is accused of providing fraudulent shipping details himself or through clearing agent Ganga Singh.
The CBI’s raids and preliminary investigation have uncovered a well-organized network involving customs officials and private exporters, who were exploiting the government system to defraud taxpayers.