Police in Azamgarh have arrested a 21-year-old resident of Sitapur for his alleged involvement in an input tax credit fraud estimated at ₹5.12 crore. The accused, identified as Vikas Rathore of Jiyapur village in the Mahmoodabad area of Sitapur, was taken into custody following an investigation into a fictitious business entity named VR Traders. Investigators allege that forged documentation and counterfeit GST invoices were deployed to unlawfully secure tax credits, resulting in substantial revenue losses to the government exchequer.
Complaint By State Tax Office Initiated Probe
The matter originated on July 8, 2025, when a senior assistant from the State Tax Office of the Azamgarh Division submitted a formal complaint at Sidhari police station. The complaint detailed procedural irregularities surrounding the registration of VR Traders, citing the deployment of fabricated records and fraudulent invoices to claim input tax credit. Acting on this submission, the police registered a case under Crime Number 338/2025, invoking various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and launched a comprehensive inquiry into the paper trail.
Interrogation Leads To Arrest At Sidhari
Over the course of the ongoing probe, investigators examined registration filings, financial paperwork, and related evidentiary materials linked to the entity. Suspicion fell on Rathore, prompting officials to summon him to Sidhari police station for interrogation regarding his links to the enterprise. Police stated that his alleged connection to the operation surfaced during this questioning. Rathore was formally arrested at approximately 12:15 pm on October 14, 2026, by a team operating out of Sidhari police station.
Accused Remanded As Wider Network Remains Under Scrutiny
Following his arrest, police fulfilled standard legal formalities and produced the accused before a local court for remand proceedings. Official records do not currently reveal the total count of invoices generated, the exact value of tax credit extracted, or the participation of additional associates in the scheme. Authorities noted that establishing the full mechanics of the operation and confirming the ₹5.12 crore revenue loss will depend on further forensic document examination and subsequent judicial proceedings.
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