Directorate of Revenue Intelligence alerts Income Tax, ED of fraud woman

KOCHI: Sandra Thomas, who has filed a complaint against Karukappally Siddique, a local DYFI leader in Kochi accusing him of extortion and blackmailing, has been suspected of being involved in cheating banks by submitting fake invoices of business transactions. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has alerted the income tax authorities and Enforcement Directorate about the fraud. According to DRI sources, the woman from Pachalam claimed to run a business of selling Chinese-made plastic flowers and cheated banks by availing of loans showing inflated business income.

The money from the banks was used to buy luxury cars and properties and the same were later pledged to private financiers to raise money. She gained the confidence of banks by producing records of income tax payment, DRI officials said. The business establishment named Sandra and Company operating in a shop at Broadway market was shown having a turnover of Rs 57 lakh in 2011-12. Later, she claimed turnover of several crores of rupees and presented the IT returns to the banks along with the inflated business turnover details.

The DRI officials in their inspection have indicated that the import and other business transactions claimed by the woman were only a cover for the fraud. Her small shop at the Broadway market has remained closed for the past few days. The telephone number given by her was also inaccessible. Sandra Thomas had created a flutter in October last year when the Ernakulam central police arrested six persons, including Siddique, based on a complaint submitted by her to DGP Loknath Behera that the accused had extorted '6 lakh and seized her Jaguar car and property by saying that they were close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A few people of Pachalam said that she belonged to an ordinary family and had told them that she had become rich by marrying a wealthy person.