ED files plaint against Ludhiana bizman in VAT refund scam

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 12

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today filed a prosecution complaint against Ramesh Mehan, proprietor of Ludhiana-based York International, Rajeev Mehan, Raman Garg and others in the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Mohali.

An FIR was registered in Ludhiana, on the basis of which the ED had registered an ECIR on December 6, 2013. Investigations revealed that VAT refund to the tune of Rs 74 lakh was taken by York International in lieu of exports to Bangladesh. However, on inquiry all exports were found to be forged and fabricated. Of the total VAT refund received, Rajeev diverted Rs 44 lakh to Jaldhara Cotspin, of which Garg was the director.

The rest of the amount was laundered by Rajeev from various accounts in the name of his employees or family members or firms controlled by them to his company Amar Exports. From Jaldhara Cotspin, funds were diverted to accounts of various family members of Garg and companies like Jaldhara Fibres, Jaldhara Exports, Chetan Exports and MA Exports, all controlled by Garg or his family members. Further, funds were siphoned off by business transactions from these firms. The ED had already attached two properties and two bank accounts worth Rs 74 lakh. Garg and Rajeev have already been charge-sheeted in two more fraud cases of Rs 2.7 crore by the ED.