Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Wednesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a massive GST fraud in Kerala, alleging that a single group orchestrated scams worth ₹1,100 crore.

Satheesan told reporters that registrations were fraudulently made in the names of ordinary citizens without their knowledge, with GST collections and payments diverted to the accounts of fraudsters. The case was first detected by Pune Intelligence, but he said the state government’s only response so far has been to cancel registrations.

“The exchequer has already lost ₹200 crore, and the treasury has not recovered a single rupee,” Satheesan said. He warned that those whose identities were misused may now face Income Tax notices, as transactions worth crores were routed using their PAN and Aadhaar. Most victims, he added, are not even income taxpayers.

Unofficial reports suggest that nearly 1,000 such frauds may be operating in the state, according to IANS. Satheesan accused GST officials of collusion, arguing that the fraud amounted not just to tax evasion but also large-scale data theft. “This is a failure of governance. A section of officials is working hand in glove with fraudsters, and the government is trying to shield them,” he alleged.

Calling for an impartial investigation, Satheesan said only a CBI probe could expose the full scale of the scam and restore public trust.