2 Customs Officers and Policeman duped a Businessman out of Rs.80 lakh for settling GST Evasion

Two Customs superintendents and a police policeman were charged with defrauding a 50-year-old businessman of Rs.80 lakh under the guise of resolving his GST evasion case. The accused are Karjat Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Jayesh Kadam and Customs superintendents Lalit Basare and Neelkamal Singh.

In August 2022, GST officers summoned the complainant – Ali Asgar Najmuddhin Patanwala, a resident of Agripada – to the GST Bhuvan at Churchgate, a GRP officer said, adding, “The officers asked him to pay 3.5 crore towards GST and interest and warned him that he could be arrested if he did not clear the dues.” He further stated that Patanwala learned about Kadam via a friend, who informed him that the policeman might assist him in resolving the situation.

“Kadam told the complainant that he knew Customs and GST officers and could get his matter resolved,” claimed the GRP officer. “Later, he instructed the businessman to deposit Rs.1.86 crore with the GST department. He stated that the complainant will be served with a show cause notice, and that if he responds to it, he will be reimbursed for the whole sum of Rs.1.86 crore. He also requested Rs.1 crore in cash as an advance for settling the issue,” the GRP officer added.

Patanwala then gave Kadam 50 lakh and met with Basare and Singh, he alleged. “Later, they began demanding the remaining 50 lakh. The complaint, on the other hand, requested a receipt for the first installment. The GRP officer stated, “Kadam then took the complainant to the GST office and introduced him to several senior officials, after which he paid the remaining amount of 50 lakh to Kadam.”

However, when he did not receive the show cause notice from GST after paying the money, he grew suspicious, according to the officer, who added, “In November, the GST department summoned the complainant again and questioned him as to why he had not paid the taxes.”

“Patanwala then told GST department officials the entire story.” In December, Singh summoned him to the Sher-E-Punjab hotel in Fort and informed him that while he was unaware of the 1 crore, he and his other colleague at Customs had received 35 lakh and had spent the remainder. He said they had Rs. 20 lakh left with them and offered to give it to the complainant,” the police officer added.

After Kadam continued to ignore him, the complainant gathered 20,000 from Customs authorities and sought high GRP officials, including the commissioner.

“We have registered a case, and it will be transferred to Agripada Police Station for investigation,” said Vijay Tayde, senior police inspector of CSMT GRP.