GST officer faces Vig heat a day after nabbing fraudsters

ROURKELA:   Vigilance officials on Tuesday conducted simultaneous raids at residences and office of assistant commercial Tax and GST Officer of Rourkela circle-i alekha Mohananda after receiving allegations regarding Mohananda amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. Mohananda was part of a State gST enforcement team which on Monday had arrested two persons here for gST fraud amounting to around `42 crore by raising false purchase and sale invoices worth `233 crore.

Rourkela Vigilance SP Subash chandra Swain said basing on a search warrant issued by the Special Judge of Vigilance court, Sundargarh, Mohananda’s residence at chhend colony, paternal house at Mangaspur, his relative’s house at gopalpur and office at Uditnagar in Steel city were searched.

While `1.22 lakh was recovered from Mohananda’s house, property worth `1.28 crore owned by him has been unearthed and the figure may rise further. Mohananda said he is cooperating with the Vigilance team and suspects that the two accused, arrested by the State gST team might have complained against him. amid rise in cases of gST fraud in and around Rourkela, the State and central gST authorities are acting tough against unscrupulous traders and fraudsters.