Rs 100-cr scam: 7 Gurugram ETOs chargesheeted for bogus tax refunds Seven Excise and Taxation Officers (ETOs) posted in Gurugram helped nine firms siphon off funds worth over Rs 100 crore from the state exchequer via bogus tax refund claims. An FIR in this regard was filed in July. Subsequently, ETOs Narendra Dhanda and Shobhini Mala were placed under suspension after a preliminary probe. The government has also suspended ETOs SK Singh, Vijender Dhull, Vikas Prashar, Sanjeev Saluja and Suneela Singh. All seven have been chargesheeted under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016. As the scam unfolded, investigations into the role of two Gurugram firms further revealed the involvement of 15 firms in Panipat district and two in Kaithal. These firms too submitted bogus claims for tax refund during transition from VAT to GST. In view of the inter-state ramifications of the scam, CM Manohar Lal Khattar has ordered that the case be handed over to the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) as recommended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Excise and Taxation, Sanjeev Kaushal.
