Bengaluru chartered accountant booked for Rs 1.81-crore fraud over fabricated tax records

Bengaluru: A chartered accountant has been booked for allegedly cheating a Bengaluru-based businessman of over Rs 1.81 crore over a period of more than a decade by fabricating tax payment records and overcharging him in the name of statutory dues.

Gopal K Saluja, who runs a manpower consultancy firm, alleged that he appointed Rishi Jain in 2008 to handle his financial and taxation matters, including income tax and GST filings.

According to the FIR, Saluja, a resident of HSR Layout, had limited knowledge of taxation procedures and entrusted Jain with complete responsibility of maintaining accounts, filing returns, and making payments to the Income Tax and GST departments.

Jain reportedly communicated with him through WhatsApp and email and collected documents and payments as required.

The alleged fraud came to light during an audit conducted in July 2025 for the 2024–25 financial year, when discrepancies were noticed in the accounts. A detailed scrutiny reportedly revealed that Jain had systematically misappropriated funds, police said.

Police further said Jain had allegedly collected around Rs 13 lakh in excess of the actual tax liability for a single assessment period and submitted fabricated “income tax paid” challans worth Rs 10.65 lakh, purportedly issued by a nationalised bank and bearing forged seals.

Financial records over the past 10 years indicate that the accused overcharged approximately Rs 1.81 crore in the name of income tax, GST, and other statutory payments.

Based on a complaint, HSR Layout police have registered a case, and a notice will be issued to the accused as part of the ongoing investigation.