Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday claimed to have unearthed an organised, multi-state GST fraud network. The suspected tax evasion involves a taxable value of Rs 2,410.22 crore, leading to a corresponding GST fraud of Rs 429.30 crore.




Cheema said that acting on inputs from the state intelligence and preventive unit ( SIPU ), an FIR was registered in Ludhiana “against Harsh Thapar, proprietor of Shree Balaji Transport Company , along with Sammy Dhiman, Jass, and other accomplices”.




The alleged fraud came to light after an SIPU official in Ludhiana intercepted a vehicle transporting goods purportedly from Delhi to Punjab. “While the accompanying e-way bills and invoices indicated supplies to three Punjab-based firms, the declared recipients flatly denied placing any such orders or purchasing the goods when contacted,” Cheema said.




The minister said that the investigation exposed a “well-orchestrated” syndicate moving goods via non-genuine documents. He said, “The govt has identified a labyrinth of 62 interconnected firms operating across various states, with 25 of these firmly rooted in Punjab.”




“This syndicate operated predominantly during the financial years 2025–26 and 2026–27. The transporter allegedly acted as a linchpin by receiving fake invoices from other entities and filling Part-B of the e-way bills to grease the wheels of this illicit trade,” the minister added.