NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court issued a directive on Thursday for Vikas Malu, the owner of the tobacco brand Kuber Group, to appear before the GST Intelligence Wing in connection with a major Rs 470 crore GST fraud case. The court has instructed Malu to present himself before the officials by November 20.
Earlier, the GST Intelligence Wing had issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Malu, summoning him to face the investigation regarding the alleged fraudulent activities under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. However, the authorities later discovered that Malu had already fled the country. In response, Malu challenged the summons in court through his legal counsel.
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In his plea, Malu sought to quash the LOC against him, requesting the court to ensure that no coercive action, including arrest, would be taken against him during the ongoing inquiry. Malu further sought permission to appear virtually before the GST officials, citing that he had resigned from the entities involved in the case as early as 2001.
The case was heard in the Delhi High Court, where Senior Standing Counsel for the CBIC, Atul Tripathi, insisted that Malu must return to India and appear before the GST officials to provide his statement. In a significant development, the court stayed the LOC, thus allowing Malu to return to India. However, the court stipulated that Malu must inform the relevant GST authorities in advance before leaving the country again, should he decide to travel.
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The case is part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged GST fraud, which reportedly involves multiple entities and has resulted in a significant financial discrepancy. The authorities are now working to ensure Malu’s cooperation in the investigation as they continue their probe into the matter.