Among the arrested are one Pramodkumar Mangru Singh and his three brothers who were declared as hawala dealers a year ago by Maharashtra Sales Tax department, which had also cancelled registration numbers issued to four proprietary firms Sidhivinayak Steel, Asian Steel, Suraj Tube Corporation and Chanchal Tube Corp in the names of the brothers.
But Singh floated another partnership firm National Enterprises and started the same activity of issuing bogus (hawala) bills. He used to charge Rs 250 to Rs 500 for bills worth Rs one lakh, officials said.
The total amount of revenue defrauded by the five firms is Rs 41.51 crore, they said.
An FIR was lodged at Shiwree Police station immediately after the interrogation by investigation officers of Maharashtra Sales Tax Department (MSTD), the officials said.
Since April 2011, MSTD has filed 137 Police complaints against hawala dealers and their beneficiaries. So far, 14 FIRs have been lodged in 19 cases.
The Maharashtra Sales Tax department has repeatedly appealed to all the hawala beneficiaries' to come forward and discharge the tax liability on account of wrongful claim based on bogus purchase invoices and avoid stringent penal actions.
