Key Accused Trishna Barman Nabbed in ₹25-Crore Fake GST ITC Racket

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: In a major breakthrough against GST fraud, the GST Intelligence and Enforcement Unit (GIEU), Assam, arrested Trishna Barman from Siliguri in West Bengal in connection with a fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) racket involving more than Rs 25 crore.

A resident of Barama in Assam's Baksa district, Trishna Barman is alleged to have created a network of fake firms for issuing fraudulent tax invoices and facilitating the illegal circulation of fake ITC.

She had been on the run from authorities in Assam and was apprehended after a three-day search operation. During the operation, she frequently changed her location in an attempt to evade arrest. Acting on specific intelligence, the enforcement team finally traced and arrested her from a hotel in Siliguri. Incidentally, Trishna Barman has an MBA degree from Bengaluru.

The operation was conducted by the GST Intelligence and Enforcement Unit, Assam, with assistance from the Special Task Force (STF), Assam Police, and was led by Superintendent of State Tax Monuj Kr. Dowari.

Trishna's brother, Surajit Barman, who is also alleged to be involved in the multi-crore fake ITC scam, is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend him.

The investigation has revealed that several other persons are suspected to be part of the fake invoicing network and are now under the department's radar.

After her arrest, the accused was produced before the competent court in West Bengal for transit remand and is expected to be brought to Guwahati tomorrow for further investigation.

Notably, this marks the first instance of officers of the Assam State GST Department arresting an accused outside the state, making it a major milestone in the department's enforcement efforts against GST fraud.

The arrest is being viewed as a major success in the ongoing crackdown on organized fake invoicing and fraudulent ITC networks operating across states.

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