The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet in a fraudulent Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) refund case amounting to Rs 263 crore. The case involves 14 individuals and entities, including former Income Tax Inspector Tanaji Mandal Adhikari, who is alleged to be the mastermind of the scam.
The chargesheet also names Kriti Verma, a television personality known for her appearances on reality shows like Big Boss and MTV Roadies. Other individuals mentioned in the chargesheet include Verma’s former boyfriends Bhushan Patil and Rajesh Shetty, among others.
The case revolves around the fraudulent issuance of refunds for the assessment years 2007-08 and 2008-09. The initial FIR, filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleged that Adhikari, during his tenure as a tax officer, had unauthorized access to RSA Tokens and login credentials of higher-ranking authorities. He allegedly manipulated the system with others to generate TDS refunds totaling over Rs 263 crore, which were then transferred to various bank accounts.
During the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it was found that Kriti Verma had sold a property in Gurugram, which was allegedly acquired with Rs 1.02 crore of proceeds from the crime. The sale proceeds, totaling Rs 1.18 crore, were traced to her bank accounts and subsequently frozen.
The ED probe also revealed that Adhikari had orchestrated the creation of 12 fraudulent TDS refunds during 2019-2020. These refunds, considered proceeds of the crime, were directed into the bank accounts of Bhushan Anant Patil and other connected individuals and entities, including shell companies. Assets acquired from the proceeds of crime include plots in various areas, flats, and luxury cars.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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