ED Raids Haryana in Connection to Alleged Rs 1,000 Crore VAT Scam

The Enforcement Directorate conducted multiple searches in Haryana, targeting three former state administrative service officers in connection with an alleged VAT scam. The money-laundering investigation stems from a 2020 FIR related to the illegal issuance of Form C worth Rs 1,000 crore. Three retired officers and private persons are under scrutiny.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday initiated multiple searches across various locations in Haryana as part of a significant money-laundering investigation associated with an alleged VAT scam, according to official sources.

Sources report that around 14 locations in the state were raided. The operation targets three retired state civil service officers—excise and taxation officer Ashok Sukhija, and former deputy excise taxation commissioners Narender Ranga and Gopi Chand Chaudhary—as well as other private individuals.

Sukhija and Chaudhary were previously arrested by state police in connection with the investigation last year. The money-laundering case originates from a 2020 FIR filed by the Haryana Police concerning the unauthorized issuance of Form C worth Rs 1,000 crore in Gurugram, which allegedly enabled traders to produce fake sale bills, resulting in a substantial loss to the state exchequer.

(With inputs from agencies.)