Suraj Pandey-linked tax proceedings total Rs 18.26 crore

Suraj Pandey-linked tax proceedings disclosed by Acme India Industries Limited total Rs 18.26 crore, comprising Rs 13.28 crore of indirect-tax matters and Rs 4.98 crore of direct-tax matters. Separately, Acme India, Suraj Pandey’s proprietary firm, has received two GST show-cause notices totalling Rs 11.27 crore.

What does the Rs 18.26 crore disclosed total cover?

The Rs 18.26 crore total covers 13 tax proceedings listed under promoters and directors, including eight direct-tax cases worth Rs 4.98 crore and five indirect-tax cases worth Rs 13.28 crore. The direct-tax category includes Suraj Pandey’s matters and a Rs 50.75 lakh assessment-year 2025-26 demand concerning Sadhvi Pandey, so it is not a Suraj Pandey-only figure.

Indirect tax represents Rs 13.28 crore, or about 73% of the Rs 18.26 crore disclosed total, based on the listed amounts. The largest direct-tax item is Suraj Pandey’s Rs 1.87 crore demand for assessment year 2020-21, followed by the Rs 1.27 crore assessment-year 2025-26 demand, both of which include interest.

Which indirect-tax cases make up most of the disclosed total?

The two largest indirect-tax items are a Rs 6.81 crore GST rectification order for 2019-20 and a Rs 4.03 crore GST demand for 2018-19. GST, or goods and services tax, is an indirect tax, while input tax credit, or ITC, is credit claimed for eligible tax paid on inputs.

The Rs 4.03 crore 2018-19 matter is under appeal before the appellate authority after Acme India filed Form GST APL-01 on June 14, 2024 against an order dated March 14, 2024. The demand includes Rs 1.83 crore each of State GST and Central GST, Rs 16.31 lakh of Integrated GST and Rs 19.91 lakh of cess; the allegations include excess ITC claimed against cancelled dealers and tax non-payers.

The Rs 6.81 crore 2019-20 rectification order dated February 4, 2025 concerns tax and penalty. Acme India applied on May 19, 2025 for a certified copy of the complete order under Section 161 because the copy available on the GST portal was stated to be illegible and not decipherable.

How did the 2020-21 GST demand change after the court order?

The 2020-21 GST demand fell from Rs 8.35 crore in the February 27, 2025 order to Rs 3.44 lakh in a fresh order dated July 28, 2026. The revised amount covers non-overlapping issues after the Delhi High Court addressed transactions also included in proceedings by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence, or DGGI.

The original order comprised Rs 4.52 crore of tax, Rs 3.37 crore of interest and Rs 45.37 lakh of penalty. On November 6, 2025, the Delhi High Court held that overlapping ITC demand of Rs 1.16 crore each under Central GST and State GST for one supplier would not survive, and the department later issued a remand notice dated January 13, 2026.

The fresh Rs 3.44 lakh order comprises Rs 1.64 lakh of tax, Rs 1.51 lakh of interest and Rs 30,000 of penalty. The original Rs 8.35 crore demand is therefore not included alongside the Rs 3.44 lakh remand outcome in the disclosed indirect-tax proceedings total.

What are the separate Rs 11.27 crore GST notices?

The separate notices are two GST show-cause notices in Form DRC 011 totalling Rs 11.27 crore, disclosed in addition to the Rs 18.26 crore proceedings total. One notice covers 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 and amounts to Rs 11.19 crore, while the other covers 2020-21 and amounts to Rs 8.63 lakh.

The disclosure does not provide the grounds, tax-interest-penalty break-up or procedural status for either Form DRC 011 notice. It also does not state whether their amounts overlap with the Rs 4.03 crore 2018-19 appeal, the Rs 6.81 crore rectification order or other listed proceedings, so a combined exposure figure cannot be calculated from the disclosed information.

A separate 2019-20 proceeding stands at Rs 1.79 crore after an order dated August 28, 2024. The Delhi High Court, in an October 30, 2025 order, allowed Acme India to file an appeal by November 30, 2025 and said the appellate decision would be subject to Supreme Court proceedings concerning the validity of relevant limitation-extension notifications.

Which direct-tax demands are under appeal or pending payment?

Suraj Pandey filed four direct-tax appeals on July 15, 2025 covering assessment years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-24 and 2024-25, with listed demands totalling Rs 2.82 crore. The appeals dispute matters including a Rs 2.13 crore disallowance for 2020-21, a Rs 20.94 lakh alleged double disallowance for 2021-22 and denial of Rs 51.25 lakh of tax deducted at source, or TDS, credit for 2023-24.

Two Suraj Pandey direct-tax amounts are described as pending for payment: Rs 30.51 lakh for 2022-23 and Rs 1.27 crore for 2025-26. The 2025-26 amount followed a Centralized Processing Centre intimation dated January 2, 2026, which determined tax liability of Rs 1.36 crore and interest and fee of Rs 21.10 lakh before crediting prepaid taxes of Rs 3.38 crore.

Conclusion

The disclosed Rs 18.26 crore tax-proceedings total is concentrated in indirect-tax cases, which account for Rs 13.28 crore of the listed amount. The largest single item is the Rs 6.81 crore 2019-20 GST rectification order, while the direct-tax total includes matters involving both Suraj Pandey and Sadhvi Pandey.

The next matters to watch are the appellate outcome in the Rs 4.03 crore 2018-19 GST case, the certified rectification order sought for the Rs 6.81 crore case and developments in the two Form DRC 011 notices worth Rs 11.27 crore. The Rs 1.79 crore 2019-20 GST matter also remains linked to the appellate process and the related Supreme Court proceedings identified in the Delhi High Court order.