
The Noida Police has apprehended a 40-year-old businesswoman, Suganya Prabhu, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, for her alleged involvement in a ₹10,000-crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud. The arrest was made by the Crime Response Team of Noida Police with the assistance of the local police in Tamil Nadu. Suganya Prabhu, a resident of Race Course Road in Coimbatore, was taken into custody from her residence on Saturday. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Shakti Avasthy, provided these details.
Background on the GST Fraud Case
Last year, on June 1, the Noida Police claimed to have dismantled a gang involved in a ₹10,000-crore GST fraud scheme. The gang allegedly registered thousands of companies under stolen or fake identities to carry out the fraud. They utilized these companies to generate e-way bills and obtain input tax credit (ITC) from the government. So far, 45 individuals have been arrested in connection with this scam. The suspects hail from various locations including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Sirsa in Haryana, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.
Investigation and Arrest of Suganya Prabhu
According to Deputy Commissioner Avasthy, Suganya Prabhu’s name surfaced during the investigation approximately three months ago. She had been on the run since then. To aid in her capture, the Noida Police commissionerate announced a reward of ₹25,000 for any information leading to her arrest earlier this month. The police were able to trace her whereabouts to Tamil Nadu.
Suganya Prabhu, a wealthy businesswoman who operates a metal manufacturing factory in Coimbatore, has an estimated net worth of at least ₹100 crore. Over the past year, she allegedly availed input tax credit from four fraudulent shell companies, resulting in a loss of ₹14.2 crore to the government exchequer.
Legal Actions Taken
Suganya Prabhu has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. She was produced before a local court and subsequently sent to judicial custody on Saturday, as confirmed by the investigating officer.
Gangster Act Invoked in the GST Fraud Case
On June 3 of this year, charges under the Gangster Act were invoked against 33 out of the 45 individuals arrested in connection with the GST fraud case by the Noida Police.