Courtroom Diary: Har.Govt. Rejects the SIT, Lokayukta's Expose of Rs.10,000/- Crores VAT Scam

Har.Govt. Rejects the SIT, Lokayukta's Expose of Rs.10,000/- Crores VAT Scam

CHANDIGARH: In a petition pending before the Chandigarh High Court; seeking CBI & ED Investigation into the VAT Scam of Rs. 10,618 Crores, the Haryana Govt. on Friday; in its Action Taken Reprot(ATR) has rejected the scam of Rs. 10,000/- quantified by the SIT, Lokayukta. On the last date of hearing on 11.07.2017 the State Counsel had sought adjournment to 'address arguments regarding action, if any, taken on the report of Lok Ayukta, Haryana.' The Additional Excise & Taxation Commissioner(Legal) in his Affidavit submitted before the HC that, "The Department strongly denies the assertion of SIT that there was evasion of Rs. 10,000/- Crores. Without going into/understanding the legal provisions and without hearing the version of the dealers whose cases were examined, the SIT quantified the figure of Rs. 1100/- Crores which was further extrapolated to Rs. 10,000/- Crores to make its report sensational. The perusal of the interim report of Lokayukta reveals that for all cases cited by SIT relating to Kaithal, Sirsa, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Hisar, Sonepat and Karnal, the total alleged evaded amount is of Rs. 618 Crores. The rest of the alleged of Rs. 10,000/- Crores pertains to the alleged liabilities of builders..The Department has mopped up a sum of Rs. 828.70 Crores from 202 builders, out of the actual cited liability of Rs. 1100 Crores or so cited in the SIT Report in the un-extrapolated figures. The Department of Town & Country Planning is being advised not to issue any licence or grant any clearances including zoning plan/building plan for the builders till the liabilities are collected..

On the ATR Sh. Pardeep Rapria, Advocate said, "I am shocked at the disowning of the report of the SIT Lokayukta Report by Govt. exposing such a huge scam. The SIT consisting of 14 senior police officers and three officers of Excise & Taxation Office; was headed by a very senior IPS Officer I.G. Sh. Shrikant Jadhav and now the State Govt. doubt the investigation skills of such an expert SIT. Such reply exposes the Govt.'s zero tolerance policy towards corruption " Mr. Rapria further told that on the one hand in its reply the State Govt. had submitted before the HC that after Lokayukta Report the Special Assessment Team had created the demand of Rs. 2604.50 Crores and Special Revision Authorities had created the demand of Rs. 531 Crores., now how can reject the scam quantified by the Lokayukta?

During the hearing the ED also apprised the HC that out of total 59 FIRs registered so far the Har. Govt. had provided only 29 FIRs. On this HC directed the State Govt. to furnish all information including FIRs, status of pending cases etc. to the ED.

Sh. Rapria sought time to go through the ATR submitted by the Har. Govt. for effectively arguments in the matter. Now. the matter will come up for arguments on 13.09.2017.