Nagpur: In a shocking and brazen act of intimidation, a key witness in the Rs 800-crore GST scam was viciously attacked under the jurisdiction of Beltarodi Police Station in Nagpur, allegedly to force him to retract his court testimony. Police have registered a case against tax consultant Brijkishor Maniyar and three unidentified assailants in connection with the assault, which has sent shockwaves through the city’s business and legal circles.
According to police, the victim, Suraj Vishwanath Kedia (35), originally from Kolkata and presently residing in Itwari, Nagpur, had previously worked with Bunty Sahu and Brijkishor Maniyar, the main accused in the massive Rs 800-crore fake GST billing racket. The scam allegedly involved the creation of dozens of bogus companies to generate fake invoices and evade Goods and Services Tax (GST) liabilities worth hundreds of crores.
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12 Oct 2025
Investigators revealed that Bunty Sahu had instructed Kedia to recruit youths to front fake firms, facilitating the illegal billing network. Acting on Sahu’s instructions, Kedia introduced Biswajit Roy from West Bengal and Mithun from Nagpur, who were later used to float these shell companies. When Roy was allegedly harassed and cheated by Sahu, he filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a criminal case against Sahu, Maniyar, and others.
Based on Kedia’s detailed statement, the accused were booked and later released on bail. However, after Kedia testified against them in court, the accused allegedly began threatening him to change or withdraw his statement.
On November 7, the threat turned violent. While Kedia was travelling by cab from Nagpur Airport to Hotel Le Meridien, a Scorpio SUV intercepted his vehicle. One of the attackers forced him to speak with Maniyar over the phone, who pressured him to withdraw his testimony. When Kedia refused, the assailants beat him mercilessly with an iron rod, causing serious injuries to his leg, and snatched his mobile phone, which reportedly contained crucial digital evidence against Maniyar.
Kedia was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Acting on his complaint, Beltarodi Police registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the attack.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a fresh case has been registered against Bunty Sahu for allegedly encroaching upon land owned by the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). According to sources, a political leader from North Nagpur is allegedly pressuring both the police and NIT officials to suppress the matter. The same leader had earlier recommended land allocation for a community hall for the Sahu community and now fears getting embroiled in the land grab controversy.
Adding to the mounting troubles of the accused, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also initiated a probe into the money trail linked to the ₹800-crore GST fraud. Once the ED investigation gains momentum, officials say, the accused and their political backers could face serious legal repercussions.
The brazen daylight attack on a key witness has once again raised alarming questions about witness safety, corruption, and the nexus between financial criminals and political power in Nagpur.
