Police unearths excise tax evasion racket at Katra
REASI, June 20: A major tax evasion bid has been detected with the seizure of illicit liquor which was being sold in open market without paying ‘Excise Duty’ at Katra while Excise department initiated enquiry into the matter.
Police spokesman said that FIR number 96 of 2015 under section 48-A Excise and 188 RPC was registered in Police Station Katra in which 416 poly pouches of liquor J&K excise were recovered and accused Vishal Sharma son of Mohan Lal of Ward number 11 near Mahadev Mandir Reasi and Rakesh Sharma alias Raju Gunda son of Bodh Raj of Matyal, Katra were arrested and Rakesh Kumar alias Manu son of Hukam Chand of Mari (Reasi) is still at large and efforts are on to nab him.
An angle of Excise Tax Evasion was envisaged during investigation that seems a big racket of tax evasion in huge amount of state government. J&K Excise department also came into action.
The Deputy Excise Commissioner (Executive) Jammu directed to ETO Doda-Udhampur Excise Range to enquire into the matter and furnish report especially giving detail regarding batch number, manufacturing date, name of manufacturing unit and serial number of hologram if affixed. In addition to this, he also requested ETO Doda-Udhampur Excise range to ascertain source of purchase of illicit liquor related to which report was published in local daily. Further ETO Doda-Udhampur Range requested SHO Police Station Katra to provide the details regarding the seizure of illicit liquor along with two sample of seized liquor to check its genuineness.
In this matter, Inspector Excise Sub range Udhampur visited Police Station Katra and examined the consignment of illicit seized by Katra police under FIR number 96 of 2015 and as per his report submitted to ETO Doda Udhampur range, the seized liquor was manufactured by Rockland distilleries limited Bari Brahmna Jammu and Ransan Industries Gangyal Jammu. As per the report of Inspector Excise Sub range Udhampur that the seized illicit liquor does not have any batch number, manufacturing date and security hologram.
The Deputy Excise Commissioner distilleries Jammu has also requested to SDPO Katra to provide the detail of illicit liquor stock seized by Police Station Katra. The relevant information is being provided to the concerned department by the District Police. During the investigation carried out so far and the correspondence done by the Excise department it has come to the light that apparently the seized illicit liquor was being sold in open market without paying Excise Duty and in this regard Excise department has also initiated enquiry into the matter and Excise department is competent to investigate the tax evasion angle if so. Whole consignment of the seized liquor has been examined by Inspector Excise Sub range Udhampur and report has been submitted to ETO Doda-Udhampur Range by him, spokesman maintained.
