GM Coke owner arrested for ₹150 crore tax evasion in Byrnihat

Guwahati, August 24: In a major crackdown on tax evasion, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Guwahati Zonal Unit, has arrested Shiv Kumar Mittal, owner of GM Coke in Byrnihat, for allegedly evading taxes worth over ₹150 crore.

Mittal was picked up from Tinsukia on Friday evening after investigators unearthed evidence of large-scale fake invoicing. Officials said he procured coke from several illegal plants in Meghalaya and covered the purchases through bogus invoices issued in the name of dummy firms—many registered using documents of poor and unsuspecting individuals.

Sources revealed that Mittal availed fake invoices exceeding ₹150 crore to hide actual transactions and avoid paying taxes. His name cropped up during follow-up probes into a massive fake invoicing syndicate busted in Guwahati earlier this month, in which four people were arrested.

Mittal is now in custody and being interrogated to trace the full extent of the racket and other beneficiaries in the illegal coal and coke trade.

The DGGI said the arrest underscores its intensified drive against fake invoicing, tax evasion, and illicit trade networks in the Northeast.

In the past eight months alone, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Guwahati Zonal Unit, has arrested 11 individuals linked to GST evasion rackets across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal.

According to sources, the accused in the current case were allegedly running a syndicate that facilitated fake invoicing worth over ₹1,000 crore. The racket revolved around the movement of coal and coke, with shell companies being used to evade GST liabilities.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Our investigation is leading us to more influential names. Stronger and swifter action will be taken against the kingpins and illegal coke establishments operating across rural Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh,” an official said.