New Delhi, February 4: GST officers have arrested a chartered accountant on charges of collecting Rs 12.67 crore GST but not depositing it with the government, the finance ministry said on Thursday. The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), North Zone, Gurugram, has arrested the chartered accountant (CA) and proprietor of M/s Rampal and Company, Harish Kumar Rampal.

M/s Rampal and Company was the CA firm of M/s Starcrest Services Pvt Ltd.

"M/s Rampal and Company had collected GST from M/s Starcrest Services Pvt. Ltd. for onward deposit to government exchequer towards GST liability of the company but they did not deposit the amount approximating Rs 12.67 crore in the government exchequer and in turn mis-appropriated the same. GST Officers Arrest One for Operating 46 Fake Firms, Passing on Input Tax Credit Worth Rs 82.23 Crore.

"Harish Kumar Rampal was involved in forging GST challans and GST returns for onward submission to the company," the ministry said. Rampal was arrested on Wednesday (February 3) and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Further investigation in the matter is in progress, it added.

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