Raid leads to scuffle, sales tax official injured

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, March 18: A sales tax raid carried out by the Superintendent of Sales Tax, Jorhat Division Satyajit Bhuyan with five other Sales Tax inspectors in a private shop M/s Tiwari Brothers situated at Krish Market in the AT Road area of Jorhat on Wednesday led to a scuffle between the owner of the shop and his son and on-duty officers assigned to check stocks and assess tax evasion with regard to the sale of dry fruits and other items related to the confectiories industries  by the Deputy Commissioner of Taxes (DCT) Sakil Saduallah.

Notably M/s Tiwari Brothers is alleged to be doing a huge profit-based business in the me of M/s OM Brothers and was evading tax in the me of Tiwari Brothers.

Talking to The Sentinel, Deputy Commissioner Sales Tax, Sakil Saduallah said, “I had deputed the first group under Superintendent Satyajit Bhuyan to do a surprise check on the shop which was dealing with dry fruits items, a costly item under a tax percentage of 14.5 per cent. The shop was under our scanner for a long time and we had specific information about M/s Tiwari Brothers issuing invoices and receipts to the customers of both retail and wholesale in the me of M/s Om Brothers. Incidentally M/s Tiwari Brothers has a TIN number registration wherein the party has to file tax every month while M/s Om Brothers had a GRN number registration which entitles a party to pay tax annually.”

The DCT further said, “The whole game was about sales suppression and through it evasion of sales tax which directly affected the State revenue. Now when my staff almost caught hold of a sack having receipts transaction documents of M/s Tiwari Brothers, both the father Om Prakash Tiwari and his son Bitu Tiwari attacked Satyajit Bhuyan and not only stched the sack but also destroyed the documents and in a view to create confusion among the public, raised a hue and cry. Filly when some cart pullers assembled, the duo attacked my deputies while leaving a scar in one of the officer’s body. Police was called in and now in their presence we are conducting the raid and assessing their present stocks and the ledgers both here in the shop and in the warehouse situated at Rahman Road. Sales Tax laws will take its own course and if found guilty then the party will not only have to pay the evaded tax but also three times pelty over the assessed tax.”

Meanwhile, on a tip off, the desigted officer of the Food Safety Department of Jorhat, Hiren Kalita also turned up in the warehouse of the M/s Tiwari Brothers and their sister concern M/s Om Brothers and took samples of raw potato chips kept in the most unhygienic conditions and a few packets of a chemical under the brand me of ‘Saffola’ having a strong pungent smell but without any mention of the area where it is used.

Hiren Kalita said, “I have collected the samples of both the potato items and especially the red packet containing some kind of a chemical. This kind of storage is totally against the rules under the food safety act. It was lying in the most unhygienic condition and perhaps not ready for human consumption. We will send it to the State forensic department and if found not suitable or adulterated then we will initiate stern action”.

Close sources from the business community in and around the A.T Road area have expressed shock at the incident that led to the physical assault on the government officers on duty and have disclosed about the highhandedness of the owner Om Prakash Tiwari and son Bitu Tiwari.

Nevertheless, police investigation is on and the CCTV footage now available with the police is likely to give an insight into the entire incident.