Kozhikode: A tense situation unfolded on Friday at SM Street, Kozhikode, when a team of officials from the GST Department conducted a raid on shops, suspecting tax evasion. In response to the raid, vendors reacted strongly by locking some of the officials inside a shop, resulting in a commotion in the bustling shopping street of the city.
Following the discovery of irregularities in the records of more than 25 shops in SM Street, GST officials conducted a raid to investigate the matter. In response, vendors made allegations of mistreatment by the GST officials. Asokan, the GST joint commissioner, informed the media that as a result of the situation, over six officials were locked inside one of the shops.
The joint GST commissioner explained the reason behind the search, stating, “We commenced the search after finding that certain shops were engaging in GST payment defaults through the use of counterfeit invoices. Following the protest by the vendors, the search operation resumed. Our action was directed solely towards the shops that were evading taxes. Vendors who comply with tax regulations and maintain proper documentation are not subject to such searches.”
As tensions escalated, the police arrived at the scene to maintain order and defuse the situation. According to reports, the vendors subsequently assured the police that they would cooperate with the ongoing raid.
On the other hand, representatives from the joint committee of the vendors disputed the reports suggesting that they had locked officials inside a shop. One of the vendors clarified, “Since it was Friday, we had to go to the mosque for Juma prayers. We temporarily closed our shutters after informing the officials that we would cooperate with the raid once we returned from the mosque.”
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