A vigilance investigation has uncovered an alleged ₹42 lakh Goods and Services Tax (GST) theft involving goods transported through railway parcel vans from Agra to other states, leading to corruption proceedings against three officials, including a former assistant commissioner of the Commercial Tax Department.
How the Alleged Scam Worked
The case relates to goods booked through railway parcel vans, where traders allegedly paid GST at the time of booking — but the tax amount was reportedly never properly deposited with the government. This kind of gap between what's collected and what actually reaches the exchequer is exactly the sort of issue that proper tax optimization and compliance practices are designed to prevent, ensuring that GST collected from customers is accurately tracked, filed, and deposited rather than quietly disappearing somewhere in the process.
The matter surfaced after a complaint regarding goods worth ₹42 lakh that were sent through railway parcel vans back in 2022.
The Investigation and the Three Officials Named
According to the report, the vigilance investigation found evidence against then Assistant Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Singh, Commercial Tax Officer Devesh Pandey, and then transport contractor Aslam Qureshi. Following the investigation, permission was obtained from the government to initiate proceedings, and a corruption case has since been registered against all three.
The original complaint was made to the government in 2023, prompting an open vigilance inquiry into the alleged GST theft. The inquiry found that goods worth ₹42 lakh had been loaded into a parcel van at Agra Cantonment railway station on the morning of September 29, 2022.
The complainant, Ravi Gandhi, had informed then Assistant Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Singh and Commercial Tax Officer Devesh Pandey that the goods were being sent through the passenger terminal railway station, allegedly being transported by contractor Aslam Qureshi.
Officials Allegedly Arrived Too Late
The report states that Singh, Pandey, and other officials did reach the railway station after receiving the tip-off — but by the time they arrived, the parcel van was allegedly found empty. Railway department records indicated that the goods had already been loaded into the van at around 11:40 am on September 29, 2022, meaning the officials had simply missed the window to intervene. Despite repeated complaints, no action was allegedly taken against the parcel van at the time.
During the vigilance investigation, it emerged that the value of goods transported through the parcel van by Aslam Qureshi was officially recorded as around ₹2 lakh, while the GST department's own investigation assessed the actual total value of the goods at ₹42 lakh — a striking discrepancy that pointed toward deliberate undervaluation. Investigators subsequently found prima facie evidence against the officials and the contractor, leading to permission being granted to register a case.
A Parallel Scam Involving Fake Parcel Scanning
The investigation also dug into the system used for scanning goods at the transporter's parcel station. According to the report, every parcel was supposed to be scanned before transport, with traders required to pay ₹10 to the railway for each scan — a system that reportedly generated around ₹3 lakh in monthly revenue for the railway.
However, the vigilance investigation found that the transporter allegedly failed to scan goods meant to be transported through parcel vans. Instead, parcels were allegedly shown as scanned through fraudulent means — effectively creating fake records while sidestepping the actual scanning requirement, resulting in additional alleged losses to the railway.
What's Next
SP Vigilance Alok Sharma confirmed that the open inquiry report had been sent to the government, and after receiving permission, a corruption case was registered against the three GST officials and the transporter. He added that if further evidence against other officials emerges during the ongoing investigation, they too would be made accused in the case.
FAQs
Q1. How much GST evasion was uncovered in this case?
The vigilance investigation uncovered an alleged ₹42 lakh GST theft involving goods transported through railway parcel vans from Agra to other states.
Q2. Who has been named in the corruption case?
The case names then Assistant Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Singh, Commercial Tax Officer Devesh Pandey, and transport contractor Aslam Qureshi.
Q3. What was the alleged parcel scanning fraud in this case?
Investigators found that the transporter allegedly failed to scan goods as required before transport, instead showing parcels as fraudulently scanned, causing additional losses to the railway.