Tax department probes Hind Samachar for ₹65cr GST evasion
Business
Punjab Kesari's publisher, Hind Samachar Ltd, is being investigated for allegedly evading ₹65 crore in GST.
The tax department says they found gaps in GST returns and e-way bills linked to over 16,000 metric tons of newsprint.
Inspections happened at the company's Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Bathinda offices.
Owner claims government is targeting them
Owner Avinash Chopra believes the government is targeting his newspaper because of its critical reporting, submitting a written memorandum to the Punjab governor alleging the state was "targeting our media house."
The state government denies this, saying inspections were routine checks based on actual violations—not retaliation against press coverage.