Former Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar Faces GST Fraud Inquiry

Police have registered a case against former Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and four others for an alleged Rs 1,400 crore GST fraud. Key figures from IIT-Hyderabad are implicated in masking cases and improper software changes leading to significant tax evasion, as revealed by a Forensic report and departmental audits.

Police have booked former Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and four others in relation to a massive Rs 1,400 crore GST fraud. The case, filed by the Central Crime Station (CCS) on July 26, includes allegations against an IIT-Hyderabad assistant professor and involves significant tax evasion and criminal charges.

The preliminary investigation uncovered evasion amounting to over Rs 400 crore in cases masked by IIT-Hyderabad, with further fraudulent activities leading to losses of more than Rs 1,000 crore. Props include the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited and other state-level frauds.

A Forensic report indicated unauthorized transfers of proprietary data from the Commercial Taxes Department to third parties, while discrepancies in audits led to the exposure of larger irregularities. The complainant detailed various procedural lapses, non-documentation of software changes, and instructions issued through a WhatsApp group including top officials and the former Chief Secretary.