The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Commissionerate of Mumbai Zone has arrested the Manager of Finance and Accounts division of Chinese smartphone maker Oppo Mobiles India, Mahendra Kumar Rawat, for allegedly fraudulently availing input tax credit (ITC) worth Rs 19 crore through fake invoices. Rawat was arrested under section 69 of the CGST Act, 2017 for contravention of section 132 of the same Act. The investigation carried out by the CGST Bhiwandi Commissionerate revealed that Oppo Maharashtra was involved in availment of fake ITC without receipt of any goods, and that its supplier, M/S Gain Hero India Private Limited, was found to be non-existent at its principal place of business. In this connection, 16 e-way bills for the said transaction were verified and found to be fake. The CGST Commissionerate has launched a special drive against tax fraudsters and tax evaders, and has arrested 24 persons in the last 18 months itself.
**Keywords**: Central Goods and Services Tax Commissionerate, Mumbai Zone, Oppo Mobiles India, input tax credit, fake invoices, Chinese smartphone maker, Mahendra Kumar Rawat, Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, Section 69, CGST Act, anti-evasion wing, Gain Hero India, non-existent, e-way bills, fake, tax fraudsters, tax evaders
