Hyderabad, 07 January (HS): Telangana Congress leader M. Sunil Kumar was arrested on Wednesday by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) in connection with a GST evasion case, officials said.

Sunil Kumar, Managing Director of Orange Passenger Transport Pvt Ltd, was arrested for allegedly collecting ₹28.24 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) and failing to deposit the amount with the government even three months after the due date, according to the DGGI, Hyderabad zonal unit.

In a separate but related action, Chethan N., Managing Director of Trillion Lead Factory Pvt Ltd, was also arrested for allegedly masterminding a fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) racket involving ₹22 crore. Both arrests were made under provisions of the Central GST Act, 2017, the DGGI said in a press release.

Officials said the accused were produced before a magistrate at the Nampally Criminal Court complex. The agency added that enforcement action has been intensified against organised GST evasion networks.

The DGGI said the arrests were based on specific intelligence developed through data analytics and inter-agency coordination, aimed at dismantling large-scale, inter-state organised tax fraud rackets. The accused were taken into custody considering the gravity of the offences and to maintain sustained pressure on the fraud network.

Sunil Kumar is also the Congress party’s in-charge for the Balkonda Assembly segment in Nizamabad district. He had contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Balkonda but was defeated by former minister and BRS leader Vemula Prashanth Reddy.

Sunil Kumar joined the Congress party in July 2023 in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Karge and then Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar