March 20: A police raid on an industry in Adarshan Nagar of Birgunj on the charge of evading customs duty has drawn widespread criticism. After the police failed to find the evidence of revenue evasion, they forwarded the matter to the Revenue Investigation Department.

The police opened the seal on the industry after three days. The next day, at the request of the police, a team from the Revenue Investigation Office, Pathalaiya raided the industry and took possession of the documents, raw materials and samples of ready-made products.

On the instructions of the District Police Office, Parsa, Ward Police Office Birta raided Sweet Mart Food Industries located in Birganj-10 Adarshnagar on March 9. The police claimed that they received information about suspicious dealings related to the customs duty on the raw materials (and gum) used by the chewing gum industry. The Revenue Investigation Department has now started the investigation on the allegation of revenue evasion by the industry by maintaining different customs tariff rates.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Komal Shah of Parsa said that the revenue investigation is being carried out by the Revenue Investigation Department - the agency responsible for investigation of revenue leakages.

“The investigation is being carried out in coordination with the police and Revenue Investigation Department,” said SP Shah. He said that now it is the job of the department to determine whether or not it is a valid issue.

The revenue investigation officer says that the department and the police should have conducted the raids jointly, but the police arrived first and spoiled the process.

Niranjan Agarwal, the owner of the industry, claims that the raw materials have passed the inspection and there was no kind of revenue fraud. He claimed that there could not be any leakage as the inspection will be passed only after the physical examination of documents and related items by the customs officials.

Agarwal said that he was acquitted by the court even four years ago when the police filed a case against him on the charge of copyright infringement.

"I have not cheated any kind of revenue. There are three other industries in Birgunj that I import in the same way. However, the police have repeatedly discouraged me," he complained. Out of the eight chewing gum manufacturing industries in Nepal, three are in Birgunj. Agarwal said that all the industries are importing raw materials with the same process and customs rate.