Trishna Barman, the prime accused in an alleged ₹25 crore fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud case, was on Friday remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Kamrup (Metro), which also rejected her bail plea.
Barman was brought to Guwahati on transit remand from West Bengal following her arrest, as the Assam Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department intensified its investigation into the alleged multi-crore tax evasion racket. She was produced before the CJM court upon her arrival and subsequently sent to judicial custody.
Officials said the investigation has gathered momentum with fresh leads emerging during the probe. Barman is expected to be questioned further as investigators continue to examine the extent of the alleged fraud and identify other individuals involved.
According to preliminary findings, Barman, along with her brother Surajit Barman, allegedly created multiple fake GST-registered firms to generate fraudulent invoices and facilitate the illegal transfer of Input Tax Credit. The alleged modus operandi involved issuing fake invoices in exchange for commissions, enabling fraudulent ITC claims without any genuine supply of goods or services.
Investigators have also identified the alleged involvement of Shubhrajit Bhattacharya, a resident of Kolkata, who is suspected to have links with the fake invoicing network.
The GST Department has traced several bogus GST-registered entities believed to have been used in the operation. Officials estimate that fraudulent ITC claims exceeding ₹25 crore were facilitated through the network, resulting in substantial revenue losses to the Assam government.
Authorities suspect the racket extends beyond Assam and may involve a larger inter-state syndicate. The GST Department is continuing its investigation to identify the principal operators, trace financial transactions and uncover the full scope of the alleged tax fraud.
