KANPUR, June 18 -- The state goods and services tax (SGST) department has uncovered a large-scale fraud in which firms registered under "fictitious" addresses allegedly siphoned off Rs.130 crore by falsely claiming input tax credit (ITC), officials said. A series of FIRs have been lodged at the Kalyanpur police station in Kanpur on Monday and Tuesday, they added.

According to state tax officer Ramesh Chandra, one of the main accused, the proprietor of a firm, obtained GST registration on February 11, 2025 using an address in Gangaganj, Panki. However, physical verification by the department found the declared premises occupied by an unrelated individual, who denied any commercial association with the said proprietor and stated that the p...