A Selaqui-based electronics goods manufacturer was found evading goods and services tax (GST) worth about Rs 5 crore by forging transportation records and claiming incorrect input tax credit (ITC), tax officials said on Sunday, following a search that began on Saturday and continued until midnight. Epack Durable Ltd allegedly showed the movement of goods through vehicles that never passed toll plazas.
Officials said the company admitted to its default and deposited Rs 1.85 crore during the operation. The investigation revealed that the firm had been availing fraudulent ITC over the last three financial years. “We found that the company was availing incorrect input tax credit without any actual movement of goods. They confessed to the default and deposited a partial amount during the survey,” GST deputy commissioner Suresh Kumar said.
Eight teams led by joint commissioner SIB Ajay Kumar carried out the search after GST staff flagged irregular transactions in the firm’s records. “The firm booked fake transport records in its books to wrongfully claim tax credits,” said another GST official. “We checked the vehicle details and none were seen crossing any toll plazas.”
Epack Durable Ltd, established in 2002, has grown into a key contract manufacturer of air conditioners and home appliances. It works with several leading brands including Daikin, Haier and Panasonic. The company’s corporate office is in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, with manufacturing units located in Selaqui (Uttarakhand), Alwar (Rajasthan), and Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh).
It is part of the larger EPACK Group, which operates across multiple sectors including pre-engineered buildings and packaging. The GST department said this was the first major enforcement action in the current financial year against a player in the electronics and home appliances sector. Officials added that other firms in the region were also under scrutiny.
Source #TOI
