Bandra Police register FIR against Romi Bhagat, others in Rs 8 crore GST fraud case

The Bandra Police registered an FIR against the accused, including an individual identified in reports as Hiren alias Romi Bhagat and an associate, following allegations of cheating a 50-year-old former country manager out of Rs 7.99 crore. According to police reports, the complainant faced company liabilities of about Rs 11 crore after a business shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The accused allegedly offered legal assistance and promised to help settle Goods and Services Tax and VAT liabilities without requiring full payment.

Investigators stated that the accused gained the complainant's trust through meetings and advised him to lodge a complaint in Guwahati against another company official. Reports indicate that even after one of the primary accused was arrested in an unrelated money-laundering case in January 2024, pressure continued. The complainant alleged that an associate threatened to have his bank accounts frozen through contacts in the tax department, which subsequently occurred when his bank account in Vashi was frozen.

Believing the assurances, the complainant transferred approximately Rs 8 crore to various specified accounts and paid a professional fee of Rs 5 lakh to a chartered accountant. After receiving no substantive response to follow-ups and facing alleged threats during a meeting at a hotel in Worli, the complainant approached the police. The probe into the alleged fraud has since been taken over by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Not yet reported: The articles do not mention whether the other named associates or chartered accountant have been formally arrested or charged in connection with this specific FIR.