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Journalist Mahesh Langa Arrested in GST Evasion Case

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By Rediff Money Desk, Rajkot   Dec 20, 2024 21:30

Mahesh Langa, already in jail for GST fraud, arrested by Rajkot police in a separate case of GST evasion. The crime branch is investigating the alleged role of the journalist in the case.
Journalist Mahesh Langa Arrested in GST Evasion Case
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Rajkot, Dec 20 (PTI) Senior journalist Mahesh Langa, who is already in jail in an alleged Goods and Services Tax scam in Gujarat, was arrested by the Rajkot police in another case of GST evasion registered by the crime branch last month, said an official on Friday.
A team of the Rajkot crime branch took Langa's custody from Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad and brought him here on Friday for further investigation, said Police Inspector and Investigation Officer of the case, SN Jadeja.
Jadeja, however, refused to divulge details about the alleged role of Langa in the GST evasion.
He said an FIR was registered by the Rajkot crime branch on November 27 and so far 12 persons have been arrested in connection with the GST evasion case.
The FIR was registered against the owners of 14 firms, including Ahmedabad-based DA Enterprise, on a complaint submitted by the Central GST office in Rajkot.
Notably, Langa's name was not there in the FIR, but it is alleged he operated DA Enterprise.
As per the FIR, these firms and their owners were part of a conspiracy to avail bogus input tax credit (ITC) using fake bills and documents, which caused a loss of Rs 61.38 lakh to the government.
ITC under the GST mechanism allows businesses to reduce their tax liability by claiming credit for the tax paid on purchases. It is aimed at reducing the cost of doing business.
Langa, who worked with a leading newspaper in Gujarat, is already facing three FIRs. He was first booked by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in an alleged GST scam in October.
Later, Langa and an unidentified employee of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) were booked by the Gandhinagar police on the charges of theft following the recovery of some official documents from his premises during raids conducted by the Ahmedabad crime branch in connection with GST fraud.
He was then booked by the Ahmedabad police for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 28.68 lakh.
In the past, the Ahmedabad police had revealed that Langa's wife Kavita and cousin Manoj were partners in a suspicious firm which was being operated by the journalist. The firm, 'DA Enterprise', had posted a turnover of Rs 6.7 crore in 2022-23, they said.
Later, both Kavita and Manoj, in their statements before a magistrate, claimed they were innocent because the firm was operated only by Langa.
"DA Enterprise was being used to route money by artificially increasing expenses in the form of fake billings and receiving cash in return. Money was transferred to (another company) Dhruvi Enterprise and it was then withdrawn as cash and routed back to Mahesh through hawala network," Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik had said in October.
Source: PTI
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