Kolkata, 1 October (H.S.) — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that it has attached 10 immovable properties valued at ₹15.41 crore in Kolkata and Howrah as part of its probe into a massive goods and services tax (GST) input tax credit (ITC) fraud.
According to the agency’s press release, the attached properties belong to Amit Gupta, identified as one of the principal masterminds of the fraudulent syndicate, along with his close aides. The action was carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
With the latest move, the total value of attached assets in this case has risen to nearly ₹20.70 crore. The probe was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by the Jamshedpur unit of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Jharkhand.
Investigators revealed that the fraud was executed through multiple shell companies floated across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. The syndicate allegedly issued bogus GST invoices involving ITC worth around ₹794 crore without any actual supply of goods. These forged ITCs were then sold to end-users for hefty commissions.
The ED found that the syndicate earned commissions of approximately ₹67 crore through this operation. Amit Gupta, acting as the chief financial handler, laundered these proceeds by acquiring immovable assets in the names of relatives and associates in an attempt to conceal ownership.
So far, ED has arrested four individuals in connection with the case: Amit Gupta, Sumit Gupta, Amit Agarwal, and S.K. Deora. All remain in judicial custody. A prosecution complaint has already been filed before the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi, which has taken cognisance of the offence.
Earlier, on July 3, 2025, the ED had provisionally attached properties worth ₹5.29 crore belonging to syndicate head S.K. Deora. Officials said the present attachment is part of continuing efforts to trace and seize the proceeds of crime. Further investigation into the case is underway.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
