The Telangana government has escalated a significant commercial tax fraud case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The decision comes amid expectations of imminent arrests, with former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar identified as a prominent suspect and listed as Accused No. 5.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the scam involves an estimated Rs 1,400 crore. The Central Crime Station (CCS) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against five individuals implicated in the case. Evidence against Somesh Kumar suggests his involvement in the fraud, which allegedly facilitated tax evasion for certain individuals.
Reports reveal that officials, including Somesh Kumar, are accused of manipulating online records to erase the details of 75 taxpayers. Furthermore, transactions between the commercial tax department and IIT Hyderabad were reportedly diverted. Somesh Kumar is believed to have issued instructions to transmit data from IIT Hyderabad’s software to a special WhatsApp group, where he was a key participant.
The Telangana Beverages Corporation reportedly incurred a Rs 1,000 crore loss due to tax evasion, with an additional Rs 400 crore evaded by 11 private companies. The CCS police are expected to issue further notices as the investigation continues.