Cadbury India being probed over tax evasion charge

The Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) has detected two cases of tax evasion amounting to Rs 213 crore by different units of confectionery major Cadbury India Ltd .

"Two cases of tax evasion by Cadbury India have been detected by DGCEI during the years 2009-10 to 2012-13 (up to October 31, 2012), minister of state for finance S.S. Palanimanickam said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The minister said that central excise duty evasion by Cadbury India, Baadi (Himachal Pradesh), involves an amount of about Rs 200 crore and is under investigation.

On the service tax evasion case, Palanimanickam said that it involves an amount of Rs 13.43 crore and the case has been adjudicated, and a demand of Rs 11.75 crore was confirmed along with a penalty of equal amount.

A Cadbury India spokesperson said, "We are fully cooperating with the authorities on this inquiry."