Jaipur-based software engineer arrested for defrauding tax department of Rs 4 crore
Soni used to manage the online database of the department. He allegedly refunded Rs 1.88 crore from Jaipur Zone of the department, Rs 1.30 crore from Alwar, and nearly Rs 73 lakh from Bharatpur zone, according to Udhyog Nagar police in Bharatpur.
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Jaipur: A software engineer, identified as Neeraj Soni was arrested by Bharatpur police for allegedly stealing ID and passwords of commercial sales tax officers in Rajasthan and siphoning off Rs 4 crore from the department’s accounts. Neeraj is a resident of Ganga Jamuna Colony in Muralipura area. He had been appointed as an expert engineer at Kar Bhawan situated on Janpath in Jaipur by his employer company, Tata Consultancy Services, according to the police.
Soni used to manage the online database of the department. He allegedly refunded Rs 1.88 crore from Jaipur Zone of the department, Rs 1.30 crore from Alwar, and nearly Rs 73 lakh from Bharatpur zone, according to Udhyog Nagar police in Bharatpur.
Soni has been working at Kar Bhawan for the past seven years.
“It was for this reason that he had full knowledge of the database, IDs and passwords,” said the officer.
As per the procedure, traders file online applications for refund after they deposit sales tax. It happens when the tax assessment suggest that the deposited amount was more than the tax owed. The application is processed through a website which has log-in and passwords for sales tax department officers.
If the application is found to be genuine, it is forwarded to Kar Bhawan in Jaipur. After an approval from Jaipur office, the refund is approved. The online approval process was being handled by Neeraj Soni, police official s said.
Using accounts of some firms owned by people known to him, he submitted online applications for refunds and got them approved. He would then transfer the money to his own accounts, police officer said.
An account with PNB in Gajipur has been traced by the police where the refunds were siphoned off to. The police have recovered Rs 88 lakh.
An FIR in this regard had been registered by deputy commissioner (state tax) Kailashchand Meena. In the FIR, Meena complained that an unregistered trader had been provided refund of a big amount.
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