​A former sales tax officer from Mumbai, Gajanan Krishna Lad, has been booked by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly facilitating a fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund of ₹4.69 crore to a shell company.

Key Details:

• Accused: Gajanan Krishna Lad, who retired in 2024 as a State Tax Officer.
• Company Involved: Intercrib Market (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., a shell company based in Kurla.​
• Allegations: Lad is accused of colluding with unidentified individuals to approve a GST refund for taxes that were never paid. The company allegedly used forged documents and fabricated sales to claim the refund.
• Modus Operandi: Between June 2021 and February 2022, fabricated documents and refund applications were submitted. Despite the company not paying any taxes, the refund was approved without proper verification.
• Legal Action: The ACB has registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating and forgery, as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

This incident follows a similar case last year, where another sales tax officer was implicated in a ₹175 crore GST refund scam.

Sources