In a major enforcement action that has sent ripples through the corporate and entertainment worlds, the Chhattisgarh State GST department carried out extensive search operations on coal firms linked to the family of actor Ankita Lokhande and her husband, businessman Vicky Jain. The multi-location raids in Bilaspur and Raipur resulted in a staggering tax surrender of ₹27.5 crore from the associated business groups.
The action, initiated on the directions of State GST Secretary Mukesh Bansal, involved enforcement teams from Raipur conducting simultaneous searches at 11 locations linked to three major coal trading groups: Mahavir Coal Washery, Feel Coal, and Paras Coal & Beneficiation. The operation, which commenced on the morning of December 12 and continued late into the night, covered offices, residential premises, washeries, and industrial plants.
The tax surrender, which took place over two consecutive days, was broken down into specific payments by the three groups involved. The total amount of ₹27.5 crore was reportedly deposited as a result of the enforcement teams’ scrutiny of transaction records and tax filings.
The payments confirmed by the authorities include:
- ₹10 crore initially surrendered by the group linked to the Jain family.
- ₹11 crore deposited on the subsequent day by one of the other washery groups.
- ₹6.5 crore surrendered by the third coal washery group.
This cumulative figure of ₹27.5 crore was deposited towards Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues and penalties. Preliminary findings by the GST officials suggest a possible manipulation of tax inputs and irregularities in transactions, particularly concerning coal mixing and related processes.
The raids were reportedly triggered by a significant mismatch between the firms’ declared scale of operations and the actual amount of tax paid. GST officials specifically suspect manipulation in input tax credit (ITC), where various methods were allegedly used to underreport tax liabilities and wrongfully claim tax benefits.
Enforcement teams meticulously examined detailed information concerning the purchase and sale of materials, inventory, and other documents related to coal trading and beneficiation. While the surrender of the tax amount provides immediate financial relief to the state exchequer, authorities confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
Officials are currently conducting a detailed review of all seized transaction records and tax filings. They stated that the exact extent of tax evasion and any further action—including the filing of formal charges—will be disclosed only after the physical and documentary reconciliation is fully completed. The searches continued for a second consecutive day, December 13, as teams examined fresh leads.
The news of the major tax enforcement action garnered widespread media attention due to the high-profile connection of businessman Vicky Jain and his wife, television and film actress Ankita Lokhande.
Vicky Jain’s family is a well-established and prominent business entity in Bilaspur, primarily involved in the coal trading and washery industry. The timing of the news coincided with the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary, bringing the private business matters of the family sharply into the public spotlight.
Neither Ankita Lokhande nor Vicky Jain have issued an official statement regarding the raid on the coal firms associated with their family. The focus of the authorities remains strictly on the business groups and the alleged tax irregularities uncovered during the extensive multi-location searches across Chhattisgarh.
The action by the State GST department reinforces the government’s intensified crackdown on tax fraud and evasion networks across major industrial sectors.
