KOCHI: Thrissur-based Highrich Online Shoppe Pvt Ltd, which was booked by the State GST department for tax evasion to the tune of Rs 126 crore, is also facing numerous criminal cases across Kerala, it has emerged. Meanwhile, GST department officials said in the tax evasion case, the firm will have to pay a penalty of around Rs 125 crore, besides the Rs 126 crore it evaded.
The Thrissur district collector has ordered provisional attachment of properties and bank account of Highrich, its directors Prathapan Kolatt Dasan and co-founder Sreena Prathapan. The order came after a case was registered against the firm and its directors under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme (BUDS) Act at Cherpu police station in Thrissur.
The Kerala GST Intelligence Wing, Kasaragod, arrested Prathapan on December 1. He was granted bail by the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court recently. Kozhikode native Valsan P A, who moved court against Highrich and sought to register a case under the BUDS Act, said crime branch officials told him that the police had registered 13 cases against the firm. Despite cases registered as early as 2021, no further action was taken, and the firm continued to thrive, Valsan said. Prathapan was convicted earlier for running a money-chain firm, Greenco Securities Pvt Ltd.
“Police played a game of cat and mouse. The lethargy by authorities, including the police, allowed Highrich to flourish,” alleged Valsan. Valsan said he will move court again as the probe is moving at a snail’s pace. Cherpu SHO (station house officer) Shibu T V said multiple cases have been registered against the firm, and that he could not divulge more details. Irinjalakuda DySP Shaiju T K said a case was first registered suo moto against Highrich at Cherpu police station in 2021. “The police have filed a chargesheet in court after completing the probe in one case. The second case was registered this year and the investigation is on. It is as part of the probe that the firm’s assets have been provisionally attached,” Shaiju said.
On January 22, the Sulthan Bathery police in Wayanad registered a case against Highrich for duping a person named Arjun N S. He alleged that he was approached by people associated with the firm online and urged to invest. In October 2022, he invested `32,000, but is yet to receive any monetary benefits promised. On July 28, 2022, the Ernakulam South Police booked Prathapan, Serena and Bincy Abraham, a leader with Highrich, for cheating a Panampilly Nagar native.