BIDAR, 23 AUG

In a significant case of tax fraud, Rahul Kulkarni, son of Kishan Kulkarni from Bidar district of the State, was arrested in Hyderabad for conducting fraudulent business transactions worth around Rs 34 crore over the past four years. The scam involved creating fake documents and issuing bogus bills, defrauding 132 individuals and evading tax payments amounting to Rs 9.25 crore.

Officials from the Kalaburagi East Zone Enforcement Wing, in collaboration with officers from the City, Shivamogga, and the Telangana State Goods and Services Tax Department, detained Rahul, who misused the Aadhaar and PAN cards of family and friends to secure GST registrations. He operated bank accounts and issued fake invoices, deceitfully enabling claims for Input Tax Credit (ITC).

If found guilty, Rahul faces a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a potential fine. This case represents the largest tax fraud detected in the Kalyana Karnataka region to date.