GST searches at Heavy Transport Company in Bhilai and Baloda Bazar
The State Goods and Services Tax (GST) team on Monday conducted coordinated searches at the Bhilai offices and warehouse of the Heavy Transport Company (HTC) and at the firm’s yard in Baloda Bazar, officials and local reports said.
Teams spent nearly six hours examining business records and other documents at the company premises. The searches continued at multiple locations into the night, according to reporting in Bhaskar English.
- Subject: Inderjit Singh (also known as Chhotu), director of Heavy Transport Company.
- Locations searched: HTC office and warehouse in Bhilai’s Hathkhoj area and the company yard in Baloda Bazar.
- Duration: Approximately six hours at primary locations; teams remained until late night.
- Fleet size: HTC is reported to operate about 1,500 trucks, with some vehicles engaged at the Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP).
Local reporting stated that HTC runs around 1,500 trucks in total and that roughly 60–70 vehicles from the fleet regularly enter the Bhilai Steel Plant for loading and transportation work. Because those vehicles routinely access the plant, documents related to such operations were among those reviewed by the GST team.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Heavy Transport Company (HTC) |
| Owner/Director | Inderjit Singh (alias Chhotu) |
| Reported fleet | ~1,500 trucks |
| Vehicles at BSP | 60–70 |
| Locations searched | Bhilai (Hathkhoj office & warehouse), Baloda Bazar yard |
Community profile of the transporter
Bhaskar English reported that Inderjit Singh, known locally as Chhotu, is a well-known transport businessman in Bhilai and serves in several civic and social roles. The report lists his positions as director of SBS Hospital, president of the Bhilai Truck Trailer Transporters Association, president of the Youth Sikh Seva Samiti Bhilai, president of the Sarv Samaj Kalyan Samiti and president of the New Gatka Sports Association, Chhattisgarh.
"The department has not yet disclosed the reason for the action or confirmed any irregularities."
The GST department has not publicly disclosed the specific reasons for the searches or confirmed whether any irregularities were found. Reporting indicates the exact cause of the raids will be clarified only after investigation and assessment of the seized or examined records.
Local implications and next steps
Because a reported portion of HTC’s operations involves vehicles entering the Bhilai Steel Plant, any prolonged enquiry that affects vehicle movements could have operational implications for firms and contractors that rely on the transporter for material movement. At present, there is no official statement from the GST department or from officials at Bhilai Steel Plant regarding any disruption.
GST searches of transport companies are typically aimed at verifying tax compliance, invoicing and movement documentation; however, the department’s exact focus in this instance has not been disclosed. The matter will depend on the assessment of documents examined during the searches. Further action — such as notices, seizures or prosecutions — would follow only if investigators find non-compliance that warrants enforcement steps.
Attempts to obtain comment from HTC management or a departmental spokesperson were not reported in the available coverage. Bhaskar English provided the initial account of the searches and the details about the company and its director.
WE NEWS will report confirmed official statements and developments in the case as they become available.
