Jaipur, Aug 25 (IANS) A major financial irregularity case has surfaced in Jaipur after the Income Tax Department filed a complaint against Chartered Accountant Abhishek Jain, alleging that he issued 3,168 Form 15CB certificates without adequate documentation and verification.
According to the complaint, the certificates were used to facilitate foreign remittances totaling nearly Rs 23,956 crore over three financial years. The case came to light after the Income Tax Department’s Directorate of Investigation conducted a survey operation on August 18.
The office of CA Abhishek Jain in Jaipur’s Patrakar Colony area was also inspected during the operation. According to the department’s complaint, documents recovered during the survey contained details of Form 15CB certificates issued in connection with foreign remittances.
Following the survey, Mintu Lal Meena, Deputy Director of the Income Tax Department, filed a complaint at the Patrakar Colony police station, leading to the registration of an FIR against Jain.
The Income Tax Department has alleged that foreign remittances of approximately Rs 23,956 crore, were made on the basis of the 3,168 certificates. According to the FIR, the transactions took place during the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The department has also raised questions about the financial profiles of several individuals and entities linked to the transactions. The complaint alleges that some of them either had not filed income tax returns or reported little or no significant business activity or income, despite large sums being remitted abroad in their names.
The FIR alleges that the required documentation was not properly examined before the certificates were issued. Form 15CB certification for certain foreign payments involves examination of the underlying transaction and relevant tax and financial documents. The Income Tax Department has specifically raised questions over the alleged verification of agreements, account-related documents, Tax Residency Certificates and Form 10F.
The complaint alleges that required verification procedures were not adequately followed. The complaint alleges that foreign remittances were made through approximately 40 firms, entities and trusts that the department has described as suspicious or allegedly bogus.
The FIR cites transactions involving approximately Rs 8,788 crore in the name of one individual and around ₹9,775 crore in the name of another. The Income Tax Department has sought further investigation into these transactions and the entities involved.
However, these are allegations contained in the complaint and will have to be established through the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings. CA Abhishek Jain has been named as the prime accused in the FIR.
The case invokes Sections 318(4), 234, 229 and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the complaint. The police are expected to examine bank accounts, foreign remittance records, Form 15CB certificates and documents linked to the companies and entities involved.
Investigators will also look into the role of individuals who initiated the remittances, as well as any intermediaries or other persons who may have been involved.
The investigation will determine whether the alleged irregularities were limited to the issuance of certificates or were part of a larger financial network. At this stage, the allegations remain under investigation, and no final conclusion regarding the culpability of the accused can be drawn until the investigation and legal process are completed.
–IANS
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