Two months after ‘Rs 38-cr scam’ surfaced at Gujarat Informatics Ltd, Rs 1.25-cr assets recovered

The alleged mastermind of the scam is a GIL executive accountant, Ruchi Bhavsar, who was arrested on July 17 along with finance officer Vikrant Kansara. The other accused are company secretary Japan Shah, deputy director Rakesh Amin and auditor Sonu Singh. GIL is tasked with streamlining e-governance in the state.

Initially, when an audit was carried out by a third-party company earlier this year, discrepancies to the tune of Rs 7 crore were found. “During the course of the investigation, it was found out that the total amount defrauded from GIL was Rs 38.67 crore. Keeping in view the seriousness of the case, a total of 15 teams, each led by a sub-inspector rank officer, were made. On Wednesday, simultaneous raids were conducted at 20 places in Gujarat, from where we have recovered cash and other assets worth Rs 1.25 crore. These include five luxury cars, gold ornaments and Rs 14.4 lakh cash,” said a senior police officer.

According to police, the accused officials conspired with others to make fake shell companies to which money was transferred using fake receipts drawn for purchasing gadgets and technology.

“We have recovered items from five persons including Ruchi Bhavsar, from whom we confiscated two luxury and two hatchback cars. Another accused, Priyanka Solanki, who has a shell company called Priya Commodity, received Rs 1.55 crore from GIL. We have recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 1.11 lakh from Solanki. Pritesh Patel, who has an unregistered company called Black Box, received Rs 2.47 crore from GIL. And we have recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 2.67 lakh,” the police officer said.

“Another accused, named Deepak Mehta, received Rs 22 lakh from Pritesh Patel and purchased a Hyundai Alcazar SUV worth Rs 21 lakh. We have recovered the SUV from Mehta. Jaideep Thakkar, the fifth accused and owner of a shell company called Diya Commodity, received Rs 7.20 crore from GIL, and we have recovered Rs 14.4 lakh in cash from Thakkar. Investigation is going on,” the officer added.

According to police, the misappropriation took place in 2019 and 2020 but could be traced only in 2022 because Japan Shah had refused to submit documents.

GIL has its office at Karmayogi Bhavan in Gandhinagar’s Sector 10 area.