HomeCompany & PMLAFrom GST Cancellation to New Company: ED Probe Sought into Alleged Investor...

From GST Cancellation to New Company: ED Probe Sought into Alleged Investor Fraud by Siba Shankar Dash and Daughter

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A complaint has been filed seeking an investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), alleging that SUIIDHAAGA LIFESTYLE PRIVATE LIMITED, SUIIDHAAGA MULTITRADE PRIVATE LIMITED, and their director, Siba Shankar Dash along with his Daughter Swetapadma Dash were involved in operating shell entities, diverting investor funds, evading GST liabilities, and undertaking a fraudulent restructuring of business operations.

The following persons are involved in this large network of fraud:

Persons Visible in Publicly Available Images

NamePosition Reflected in Image/Material
Siba Shankar DashFounder, Chairman & Managing Director
Swetapadma DashDirector
Sriharsa PandaCountry Head
Former Chief Secretary of OdishaAppears in event photograph; no allegations or findings against him have been established by any authority
S. No.NamePosition / Role Mentioned in Available Material
1Siba Shankar DashFounder, Chairman & Managing Director, SUIIDHAAGA Group
2Swetapadma DashDirector, SUIIDHAAGA Group
3Sriharsa PandaCountry Head, SUIIDHAAGA Group
4Nader SharmaAgent (Udaipur, Rajasthan)
5Rabbani AnsariAgent (Jharkhand)
6Naveen VijayAgent (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
7Archana JaiswaraAgent (Kolkata, West Bengal)
8Michele ChettriAgent (Siliguri, West Bengal)
9Ashok ShuklaAgent (Uttar Pradesh)
10Vinod PandeyAgent (Uttar Pradesh)
11Satya Shankar DashAgent (Odisha)
12Radheshyam SainiAgent (Rajasthan)
13Jitendra Kumar RathAgent (Odisha)
14Abhishek BaranwalAgent (Uttar Pradesh)
Siba Shankar Dash along with his Daughter, Swetapadma Dash and Country Head Sriharsa Panda at the Event of Suidhaga Multitrade Event at Puri
Siba Shankar Dash along with his Daughter, Swetapadma Dash and Country Head Sriharsa Panda falicitating Bijay Patnaik, Former Chief Secretary of Odisha at the Event of Suidhaga Multitrade Event at Puri organised to allegedly defraud investors.

According to the complaint, circumstances have emerged warranting a detailed probe by GST and enforcement authorities into the activities of the two companies. It has been alleged that the GST registration of SUIIDHAAGA LIFESTYLE PRIVATE LIMITED (GSTIN: 21ABHCS0090H1ZN) was cancelled suo motu with effect from July 15, 2025, while SUIIDHAAGA MULTITRADE PRIVATE LIMITED (GSTIN: 21ABSCS6318K1ZY) obtained an active GST registration from February 3, 2026.

The complainant contends that the timing and sequence of these developments raise serious concerns that business operations, customer relationships, receivables, financial transactions, and commercial activities may have been shifted from the earlier entity to the newer company in an attempt to avoid statutory liabilities, tax obligations, and commitments owed to franchisees, investors, and creditors. The complaint further alleges that both entities have operated under substantially similar trade names, websites, branding, and business structures, suggesting continuity of operations despite the cancellation of the GST registration of the earlier company. On this basis, it has been alleged that the newer entity may have been used as a shell or substitute vehicle to continue the same business under a different corporate structure.

The complaint has been filed by Mazahir Hussain Baroda Wala, who claims that he entered into a Franchise/Carrying & Forwarding Agreement with SUIIDHAAGA LIFESTYLE PRIVATE LIMITED on February 2, 2024, after being assured that the company was engaged in legitimate business activities. Under the agreement, he allegedly invested ₹1 crore in a scheme that promised fixed lifetime returns of ₹2 lakh per month.

It is alleged that while the company initially made payments totaling approximately ₹21.60 lakh, it subsequently stopped making payments after December 27, 2024, and failed to honour its continuing obligations under the arrangement. The complainant further states that two cheques of ₹25 lakh each were issued towards repayment of outstanding liabilities. However, one of the cheques was allegedly dishonoured, as reflected in a communication issued by ICICI Bank dated May 1, 2026.

According to the complaint, the dishonour of the cheque, the alleged refusal to accept legal notices, and the cessation of payments collectively indicate that the complainant may have been induced to invest through false representations and that the commitments made at the inception of the arrangement were never intended to be fulfilled.

The complaint also points to what it describes as inconsistencies in the declared nature of business activities. While GST records reportedly reflect activities relating to garments, cosmetics, and hygiene products, it is alleged that associated persons were simultaneously promoting and marketing real estate projects and plots through various advertisements and promotional campaigns. The complainant contends that such divergence may indicate concealment of actual business operations, suppression of turnover, and diversion of funds into activities not disclosed to regulatory authorities.

Further allegations include the use of interconnected entities for migration of business operations, concealment of taxable transactions, dishonest inducement of investors and franchisees, non-deposit of TDS after June 2024, and possible siphoning or layering of investor funds. The complaint invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, and the Companies Act, 2013, contending that the alleged acts may constitute scheduled offences capable of attracting the provisions of the PMLA.

Seeking intervention from the Enforcement Directorate, the complainant has requested a comprehensive investigation into the financial affairs of the entities, including scrutiny of bank accounts, related-party transactions, movement and layering of funds, and the possible attachment of assets under the PMLA. The complaint further seeks coordination between the Enforcement Directorate, GST authorities, the Income Tax Department, and the Registrar of Companies for examination of financial records, corporate filings, and other relevant documents.

The allegations contained in the complaint are presently claims made by the complainant and are subject to verification and investigation by the competent authorities.

Read More: Non-Maintenance of Job Work Records Can Trigger GST Demand U/s 74: Madras High Court

Juris Hour Team
Juris Hour Team
Juris Hour is an online news portal for reporting accurate and honest news, articles, judgments, Circulars, orders and notifications related to legal developments. We use the tagline ‘Proficiency At Your Doorstep’. Our mission is to simplify and communicate various legal developments in various spheres like civil, criminal, taxation, etc. and make people aware of their rights and duties in order to empower them to contribute in nation-building.Juris Hour is a team of young professionals turned legal journalists who are guided by the values enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India and want to create more legal awareness in society by acting as a tool to aid legal reforms by offering a space for constructive criticism of the judiciary.

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