White-collar crimes are more serious than murders and dacoity, the Bombay high court’s Aurangabad bench has observed while hearing petitions of four businessmen booked for evading Goods and Services Tax (GST) by producing fake invoices. The bench pulled up the four for adopting delaying tactics and wasting precious judicial time.
The lawyers of the four said they have paid nearly ₹84 lakh under protest and wanted to challenge the liability levied against them. A G Talhar, who represented the government, submitted that fake invoices without receipt or supply of goods or services were prepared for availing input tax credit through a fraud involving Rs. 5.5 crore for which GST of ₹84 lakh was recoverable.
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The bench observed the petitioners got interim relief from coercive action and the matter was deliberately filed before the vacation court to delay it. It added an attempt was also made to delay proceedings by claiming that the consultant of the company had contracted Covid-19. “Thus, the respondent department was virtually prevented from exercising its powers even like issuing summons. By such order, the petitioners indirectly got relief of anticipatory bail, which is also not ordinarily permissible in proceeding of present nature.”