Title - 400 parcels seized at railway station

Ludhiana:
In a big catch, the Excise and Taxation Department here has seized about 400 parcels from the railway station during a raid conducted under the supervision of District Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC) Rishipal Singh. These parcels were without proper documents and department officials have taken the parcels into their custody.Rishipal said this was one of the biggest catches by the department. The raid was conducted with a team of 40 officials under his supervision. The raid started around 4 pm and lasted till late hours.“We have the information that tax evaders were bringing goods from other states at the railway station here. A trap was laid to seize the material, which was going to be loaded in trucks to be supplied to shops/hosiery units, etc. Though we have not opened the parcels, we feel that these contain various items, including expensive electronic goods, too,” said the DETC.

He said the department was going to act tough against tax evaders and this was just the beginning.

“We are not going to spare tax evaders. As per the law, we can register a criminal complaint against them, if needed,” Rishipal said.

“Peti mafia” is active in the industrial hub of Ludhiana. If certain officials in the department are to be believed, then goods worth about Rs 10-Rs 15 crore are sent daily from here in an illegal manner. This would not be possible without the connivance of certain officials and political leaders. An official said tax evaders enjoyed political patronage and officials did not mind obliging leaders who were well influenced.