The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has sought bail of Rs990 million from three individuals arrested in connection with tax evasion worth millions

of rupees.

The DRI had arrested Nawaraj Upadhyaya, a customs agent at Bhairahawa customs office, his son Shankar Khanal Upadhyaya and woman accomplice Kamala Rasaili about two weeks ago on the charges of doing illegal transactions through third party firms and issuing fake value added tax (VAT) bills.

“They were found to have evaded tax worth Rs180 million,” said DRI Director General Dirgha Raj

Mainali. As per the Revenue Leakage (Investigation and Control) Act, the revenue evader is subjected to pay a fine double the evaded revenue or a jail term up to three years or both along with the evaded revenue amount.

In the case of accomplices, the penalty is halved as per the law. “Based on this provision of the Act, we have sought bail amount of Rs990 million from three persons with Raisaili serving as an accomplice for releasing them,” said Mainali.

According to the DRI, Upadhyaya duo misused Rasaili to evade revenue as they did transactions through Bhairahawa-based Shiva Enterprises registered in the name of Rasaili. She is running a small tailoring shop at Bhairahawa but a firm under her ownership has been doing transactions worth millions of rupees, according to the DRI.

“The Upadhyaya duo were found to have paid her anywhere between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 regularly and sometimes given her clothes to get her to sign cheques for such transactions,” said Mainali.

The firm has been found to have issued fake VAT bills with same numbers to different clients. For example, the company sold ladies’ suits worth Rs297,032 to Narayangadh-based Binod Enterprises on June 17 with fake VAT bill with number 3172. The company issued another VAT bill with the same number while selling goods worth Rs463,353 to Pratibha Suppliers of Kawasoti, Nawalparasi on June 23, the DRI added. Mainali said that they have frozen the bank accounts of three accused.