VIJAYAWADA: Alleged harassment by officials of Goods and Services Tax (GST) department to pay a penalty of Rs 50 lakh led to the suicide of a 50-year-old businessman. Mohammad Sadiq ended his life by jumping into river Krishna at Skew Bridge near Benz Circle two days ago.
His body was found in the canal by the villagers of Ghantasala on Monday evening. Though Sadiq did not leave behind any suicide note, his family alleged that he was under pressure to pay Rs 50 lakh as penalty for tax evasion. Police said they were investigating whether it was a case of suicide or accidental death.
According to Penamaluru police, Mohammad Sadiq was the owner of a vehicle body building unit at Auto Nagar and also vice president of Automobile Technicians Association. Sadiq was survived by son and two daughters. On Sunday morning around 4.15 am, Sadiq left home to offer namaz and also take his morning walk, but did not return.
The same day evening, Sadiq’s brother Mohammad Zardar Basha lodged a complaint with the Penamaluru police about his ‘missing’ brother.
The police tried to find his whereabouts through mobile phone signal, but their efforts did not yield results as the phone was switched off. On Monday evening, locals found the body of Sadiq floating in Puligadda canal near Bobbarlanka and informed the police and his family.
His family on Tuesday alleged that GST officials imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh for no reason and put him under pressure to pay it within a week. “They (GST officials) should be held responsible for my husband’s death. He was seen depressed and distressed. Unable to pay the amount, he committed suicide,” rued Sadiq’s wife.
GST officials, in their statement to the police, said Sadiq’s company was not listed in their records and denied allegations of harassment. As per another version, the victim was under the scanner of I-T officials for alleged tax evasion. “He reportedly purchased land and the I-T department served notices on him for not showing proper records for the source of income. He was under pressure to pay penalty,’’ a close friend of the deceased told TNIE at the hospital where an autopsy was performed on Sadiq’s body.