GST sleuths net Rs 30 lakh edible oil looted from Keonjhar

ROURKELA:  On trail of tax evaders, the Rourkela enforcement unit of Commercial Tax (CT) & GST stumbled upon two trucks carrying Rs 30 lakh worth edible oil looted from Keonjhar’s Telkoi at Kuanrmunda on Wednesday night. Deputy commissioner of CT&GST, Rourkela Ramesh Mandal said the enforcement unit intercepted two trucks en route to Bihar on January 13 night near Kuanrmunda.

The truck drivers were carrying fake purchase and way bill and on further verification, it emerged that the edible oil was actually looted from Keonjhar district. The drivers further stated that they had loaded the oil on behalf of one Pappu Singh of Vedvyas in Rourkela.

Requesting anonymity, the Bhubaneswar-based distributor of the edible oil said as many as 2,100 boxes of Mahakosh Soyabean refined oil and Ruchi No 1 Vanaspati oil were dispatched in a truck from Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd in West Bengal. The truck was headed for Jharsuguda but the vehicle was hijacked by unidentified miscreants. They assaulted the driver and helper at an interior location in Telkoi and fled with the loaded truck. 

He further said those behind the loot tried to sell the edible oil in Raipur. After failing in their attempt, they loaded the edible oil boxes in two different trucks and were on way to Bihar via Jharkhand. An inter-State racket is behind the incident as such loots are frequently taking place on the route. 

Mandal said the loaded trucks have been detained at Kuanrmunda while investigation by Telkoi police and CT&GST authorities is underway.      Sources said a team of Telkoi police is camping at Kuanrmunda near Rourkela for investigation. Telkoi IIC Padmasini Meher said probe is underway but refused to share any details.